A New Beginning
by sweetheart357
Summary: What if, through all the pain and suffering that Bella was feeling on the night that Edward left her, she turned into a werewolf. She still tries to hold onto Edward and fight her growing love for Jacob, while everything is put at risk.
1. Needing To Be Rescued

**I got this plot line stuck in my head so I decided to write it down. I'm sure that we'd all like to know what would've happened it Bella transformed into a werewolf…am I right?**

**Summary: What if, through all the pain and suffering that Bella was feeling on the night that Edward left her, she turned into a werewolf. She still tries to hold onto Edward and fight her growing love for Jacob, while everything is put at risk. New alliances are formed and old enemies arrive. **

**So the story takes place in the beginning of New Moon when Edward leaves Bella in the forest, obviously you already know that from the summary. All the guys are werewolves now and Jacob just transformed not that long ago. The story goes on from there.**

**Also, every other chapter will be in Jacob's point of view. So, all the odd chapters are in BPOV and the even are in BPOV. Enjoy!**

***

BPOV

I continued walking. There was nothing else for me to do. My heart, what was left of it, had a huge whole punched through it, along with one in my chest. Life no longer had any kind of meaning. Absolutely nothing.

My entire body was numb from being outside for so long in the almost thirty degree weather, which was now plummeting even further. At my side, my hands were shaking, probably from the cold that was consuming me. Though, I couldn't feel a thing except for my aching heart. It seemed like _he_ had ripped it out of my chest and took it with him when _he_ left. _When he left_…

Tears welled in my eyes, spilling over and hitting my coat. My messy hair blew in my face against the wind, sticking to my cheeks. I pulled it away and tucked it under my hood that was lined in a brown faux fur. My coat had been a gift from Alice. She had gone on a shopping spree somewhere in California over the summer and picked me up a few things. She had grown tired of my clothes that had no style. I wished I could see her. Right now, I needed her more than ever.

"Alice," I whispered, even though saying her name was hurting me even further. "How could _you_ do this to me? You knew it was coming and you didn't say anything. Not a warning, nothing." My voice was cracking through the two sentences that I managed to say.

But, what Alice had done was barely anything compared to what had just happened. _He_ might as well have left me here dead.

Against my better judgment, I kept walking. Stopping seemed to be impossible, especially now. For sure, if I stopped, I would never get out of the woods. If I kept going, I was bound to hit a road or trail at some point. It was most likely a better idea to turn around and go back. I knew that was a stupid idea anyway. I didn't know my way around the forest and I would end up going in the wrong direction. I was lost.

At the moment, I didn't care. Not one bit. I knew that there were two possibilities. One, I would be found. Or two, I would die somewhere out here and that would be it. I couldn't die. Even if I was dead on the inside, I could not give up. I needed to be there for Charlie and Renee.

I stopped when I could no longer walk any more. My feet hurt from my boots and my legs felt like bricks had been attached to them. My eyelids grew heavy, causing me to stumble and fall to the ground. The leaves were cold and damp from all the harsh rain.

I flipped over so my back was on the ground and I was facing upright. A new moon was high up in the sky, shining bright and brilliantly. The skies were clear, clear enough so that you could see the stars against the blackness of the open space.

Around me, in the silence of night, I heard everything detail of the woods. I heard the faint sound of the water dropping from the leaves of the tall trees. The little noises of the small creatures that lurked during the night, and the wind picking up the dried leaves and blowing then through the crisp autumn air. As the night progressed, it all fell silent. All I could hear was my own breath that was starting to slow.

Ever so slightly, my hands started to shake. I ignored it, thinking it was from the intense cold that I was now feeling, inside and out. I thought that if I moved, I'd break apart into tiny pieces.

My head tilted to the side and…the next thing I saw was the moon dipping over the horizon, saying its last goodbye. I could see the clouds starting to take the color of a yellowish orange as the sun came up for morning. It had all been real. _He _was really gone and I was alone in the woods. I had been here all night, no doubt that everyone was looking for me by now. They must all be worried. Panic had most likely already started to settle in to those who knew I was missing. I had been gone all night, no one knowing where I was.

I sat up straight so that I was looking straight at the horizon, where the sun was poking its head over, illuminating the cloudy skies. The clouds where dark and threatening to open up, letting the rain down. It reminded me of myself. How I cried and cried and cried. Maybe the weather was reflecting me.

My hands were still shaking, I noticed. It was strange, yet confusing. I did not feel very cold any more, nor was any other part of my body shaking. Just my hands.

I clasped them together; thinking that might help but it didn't do a thing. Out of frustration, I shot my body up straight and stomped through the mud and muck, splashing it all over me. It wasn't only my hands that were shaking now; it was my entire arm.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

_Why does everything have to be so damn complicated? Why me? Why am I the one who has to get hurt and left in the middle of the freaking woods?_ I mentally shouted. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.

I followed through with my though before I had time to even think. My mouth opened and let out the most horrifying scream I had ever heard. I let out everything that I had inside of me, all the hate, anger, pain, and all the rest that was relevant.

I felt a shiver roll down my spine as all the anger built up. A loud noise of ripping came next. I bursted out of my skin and hit the ground, fur flying out in every direction. The material that had once been my clothes flew out, too, falling to the ground. My eyes glanced down and saw white paws against the brown dirt. I tried to scream but a horrific yelp came out.

_Bella?_

It sounded like someone was right next to me and had said my name right into my ear. I started to panic.

_It's okay, Bella, it's Sam Uley. _Not only was I hearing him in my head but I was seeing images flash by. _Just stay where you are, I'll be there in a minute._

_What's happening?_ I thought back. I started to circle around, seeing four paws. _My _paws.

A small puddle had formed nearby and I rushed over to it. My footing was unbalanced as I tried to move. My eyes dropped to the water. There was a white wolf shaped face staring back at me. I was a wolf.

I scream again, but this time it was only mentally. _Bella, please don't do that_, Sam's voice came again. _I'm closer to you now, don't freak out on me. _

I wasn't sure what to do. It seemed like the world was spinning and the Earth was tilting. My eyes went blurry and focused again. I felt woozy, then the trees, I saw a black wolf, five times the regular size of one, come forward. I stared back at it. It was massive as I looked across at the wolf.

_Bella, don't worry, it's me._

_Sam?_ I questioned. _What's happening? What am I? I don't understand._

He stepped forward so he was closer to me. We were only about a foot away from each other. I still felt extremely scared and frightened. I needed an explanation.

_Don't be scared. I know that you're scared now but it's all fine. You're a werewolf, Bella, that's what you are. So am I, and so is four other boys from La Push._ Sam's thoughts were comforting, but still the scariest thing in the world.

I was hyperventilating. _I don't get it_, I cried. The world was crashing down on me at a fast pace.

Sam looked deep into my eyes. _Shhh, _he urged. _I swear, everything will be okay._

_But it's not!_ I shouted back, in fury. My thoughts wandered to _him_. All the things that he said flowed back into my brain and hit me right in the middle of my chest. How could this all be happening right now? This was insanity.

_I see,_ Sam exhaled, trying to keep his cool._ That bloodsucker left you here. It that why you're out here?_

The dizziness came back. _Can't talk_, I managed to think.

_Calm down and it will be easier,_ Sam ordered.

_Calm down? I just turned into a freaking werewolf and you want me to calm down! _Tears welled in my eyes, threatening to spill over. I wouldn't let them. _I'm so scared, Sam._

I felt a weird and unfamiliar sensation in my body, then another voice in my head. _Hey, Sam, Paul and Jared just got into another fight and—Holy shit! Who is that?_

_Embry,_ Sam warned. _Go back to Emily's and get some of her clothes. Bring them straight back here._ After a moment, he spoke again. _And don't ask any questions, just go get the clothes._

_Holy shit!_ The Embry repeated in utter shock. _A female, no way!_ _I_ _gotta_ _see this for myself!_

_Someone please tell me what's going on,_ I asked, my voice quiet.

There was a moment of complete silence. _No way! Bella Swan? Is that really you?_

_EMBRY! _Sam shouted. _I said to go back and get clothes! _Sam's voice was booming and quite frightning.

It was too late. Embry had already come through the concealment of the trees. He was large and had gray fur with darks spots on him. He was smaller than Sam but bigger than me. But, I was only slightly smaller in size.

_Sorry, Sam. This is something I have to see in person,_ he apologized, coming forward so that he was in front of me. I could feel the shock from him running throughout me, like we were the same person. It was so odd to feel what he felt.

_Damn,_ he said slowly. _You're really pretty._

_Got back now,_ Sam growled at Embry. _Don't tell the others yet._

Embry started to back away, eyes locked on me. _They're already at Emily's for breakfast. How can I not tell them this, Sam? This is huge!_ He continued to stare at me even as he was backing up. His intense eys never left me.

I saw images of all the guys at a table, laughing and enjoying themselves. The kitchen they were in was not one that I reconized. _Who's Emily?_ I asked. It was all going so fast for me. It was hard to keep up with everything that was going on.

_Embry go now._ He took off in the direction that he came in. I could still see and hear his thoughts. There were images of me, as a wolf, in his head. I looked at them, shocked.

_That's what I look like? _I wasn't asking anyone in particular.

_Sure is, baby. _Embry thought back. _You look beautiful, don't you think?_

I didn't respond, mostly because Sam growled.

_This had to be a dream. I just had to be. Stuff like this doesn't happen out of the blue. Monsters aren't supposed to be real, _I thought, mainly to myself.

_They are real,_ Sam answered. _This is really happening. Bella, you're a werewolf. _

I took deep breaths. _Am I still human or is that out the window, too?_

_Yes, you are still human. You can just turn into a wolf when you want or need to. Also, if you get too angry you'll phase,_ Sam explained.

_Phase,_ I questioned.

_Phase into a wolf. Don't worry; we'll explain it all when you're back in your human form. It will be easier to understand._

I almost expected to faint. I thought that I would lose consciousness and wake up in the forest again, seeing that it was all a strange dream. It didn't happen. This was _actually_ happening. Reality was setting in. I was a werewolf.

More pictures flew through my mind; a lot of which I assumed were Emily. Sam was thinking about her, not meaning to, and telling me everything that I needed to know. She was his fiancée, a bright girl that he loved more than anything. I noticed two scars on her face. After that, it was like a video was playing in my head. I saw Sam lose control, only for a second, and hit Emily as he transformed. She laid unconscious on the ground.

He put the thought out. I could tell he never forgave himself for what happened. _That's what happens when you lose control,_ he sighed. _We have to be careful._

Wind blew across my white fur. The color was perfect, a crisp and shiny white that only made you stare. The color of fresh snow.

_How do you get back to human form? _

_You will have to look through my memories. It gets easier when as you get the hang of things. But, we'll wait until Embry brings clothes. I don't think you want to be standing naked. Anyways, It took the other boys hours to get back to their human form the first time, but it didn't take Jake too long so hopefully it will be the same for you._ An image of Jacob Black popped into my head.

_Jacob,_ I inhaled, comforted by his name. _He's a werewolf?_

_Yes, he is_, Sam said calmly. _Jake is going to be thrilled when he hears this. The boy really likes you._

Relief washed over me, and there was no doubt in my mind that Sam felt it, too. I had always like Jacob. He was the sweetest boy I had ever met. Of course i knew that he had a crush on me but i was sure that had passed by now. There were pleanty of girls in his school that probably liked him. He might even have a girlfriend by now. I remembered the day we meet on the beach…He was so nice and innocent. So young looking.

_So, what now?_ The question was related to everything.

_We wait._

_***_

**So, what do you think? Should I continue? Do you want to read more? I promise it will be a good story, a really good story. Please review. I want to know what you think. I love feedback *smiles***

**For those of you who read my other story, don't worry. This story won't interfere with my chapter updates.**

**Love all my readers…and reviewers. *kisses***


	2. Surprise, Surprise

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters**

**I can't believe how many people reviewed and read my story! Thank you so much.**

**Just so all you readers are aware, this story is rated M for a reason…many reasons, one of them being your looking into the mind of a boy. *winks* Also, language, sexual situations and lemons later on.**

**Bella, in some cases, is going to be different than she is in the Twilight books considering that she turns into a werewolf. I think she would be a lot different if that happened. Just thought I should let you know before someone says in their review that I'm not staying true to the character…that's kind of the point. She won't be the same as she was. Think about it, was Jacob the exact same? (Sorry if I sound a little bitchy)**

**Hope you like the chapter.**

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JPOV

It was still early in the morning. We were over at Emily's, gorging ourselves with food. Apparently, running around as a wolf all night was tiring and made you extremely hungry. I was hungry all the time anymore, ever since I turned into a werewolf.

The worst part about it was that I wasn't allowed to see Bella. She was in my head nonstop. I always thought about her. Last night we got word that the Cullen's had left. I was thrilled at first, but that quickly pushed those thoughts away. Bella must be so unhappy right now. I really wish that I could go see her. But, I couldn't. I couldn't see anyone. They were all afraid that I would lose control and kill someone.

Going to school was even difficult. I forgot all about my classes, homework, and studying. I even ignored all the attention I was getting from the girls. I couldn't get Bella off my mind. She was in my thoughts and dreams all the time.

"I can't believe those bloodsuckers are gone!" Paul expressed.

"Dude, I know." Jared agreed. "We don't have to worry about them anymore."

We continued to eat in silence, all so hungry that we weren't going to waste our time by talking. A few minutes later Embry came stumbling in, tripping over his own feet with a huge smile on his face. He bursted through the open door.

"Emily!" he shouted, louder than he should have.

Emily turned around from the kitchen, where she was all the time. I felt bad that she always had to cook for us but, she was a great cook. "I'm right here, no need to shout."

Embry looked at all of us and keep smiling like he had a secret.

"Dude, why are you smiling like that?" I asked. "It's creeping me out."

Whatever Embry was keeping from us had to be good.

He gave a howl of laughter. "You will not believe what just happened! Damn, I wish I could tell you."

Instead of saying what was on his mind, he pasted all of us and walked over to Emily, who was preparing more eggs. "I need some of your clothes, Em."

Paul bursted out laughing. "Why? Are you confused about your gender, Embry? I'm sure cross dressing is not the solution." We all joined laughing at the joke.

"Shut up," Embry barked, turning serious. "They're not for me, they're for—" he stopped short and shut his mouth. He was keeping something real good.

"For who?" Jared asked, leaning back in his chair. "Go on, finish that sentence. We'll find out sooner or later. You can't keep anything from us, remember?"

Embry ignored us and turned back to Emily. "Look, I really just need those clothes. Sam sent me."

"What are you hiding?" I almost shouted at Embry.

He twisted toward us with a smirk on his face. "Sam is going to kill me for telling you but, this is just too good to _not_ tell." He waited a few seconds, leaning on the counter. "Someone else phased today."

"What?" Paul and Jared both said at the same time, standing up, wanting more information.

My immediate thought was Quil. We all knew that he would most likely be joining us soon since he was my second cousin and in the blood line. That didn't make any sense though. We had already asked his mother how he was doing—if he had a fever or anything—and she said he was perfectly fine. I could not think of anyone else that would end up phasing.

I stood up. "Who?"

Whoever it was, they were probably freaking out. I know that I did when I first phased. This meant cutting breakfast short and heading out to explain the whole werewolf thing to the poor guy.

"What other guy would phase?" Paul asked.

Embry continued to smile while Emily came out with a bundle of clothes. I hadn't even realized what that meant. "It's not a _guy_. Why the hell did you think I asked for female clothes, idiot?"

Paul spit out his drink. "WHAT? A _female_? Don't just fucking stand there, tell us who!"

It was a good thing that Embry didn't take any offense to Paul's words. We already had one fight this morning and we didn't need another one to start.

My mind was reeling. A female werewolf was unheard of. I was dying to know who it was.

"Get this, she's not even Quileute." Embry ran his fingers through his hair as he walked toward the door. Paul grabbed him by the arm before him reached it. Embry looked right at me and then the others. "It's Bella Swan, stupid!"

Embry yanked his arm out of Paul's grip. "Are you coming or what? She's freaking out about the whole thing."

Embry dashed out the door. We all stood there around the table staring at each other. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. It was impossible. Bella couldn't be a werewolf, could she? The slight thought of her made my heart flutter.

I met eyes with Paul and Jared before running out the back door, following in the direction that Embry had gone in. I torn my jeans off and phased, putting my pants in my mouth. If it was true that Bella was now a werewolf, I didn't want to be standing completely naked in front of her. Behind me, I could hear Paul and Jared do the same.

This news boggled my head. My mind was racing and so was my heart. Was it possible that Bella had actually transformed into a werewolf?

Paul's voice entered my head. _This is insane. How the hell did this happen? The leech-lover is one of us. _

_Shut up, Paul!_ I yelled, agitated that he called her that. _She's not a leech-lover!_

_Yeah, right._

My anger grew. I did not have time for this._ Call her that one more time and I'll fuck you up, Paul. I'm not kidding! Mind your own business. _

Paul laughed. _I'm sure it will be the other way around, kid. And, it is my business. _

It annoyed my to no end that Paul called me _kid_. He was only a few months old than me and acted more like a kid himself. He always lost his temper, at least every other day. I had more control than that, something I loved to throw in his face

My thoughts switched back to Bella. I had an image of her in my head: Her long brown, curly hair cascading down her shoulders, her big chocolate brown eyes staring back at me. She was gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. No one could ever compare to her.

_Jacob, stop thinking about her in that way. You barely know her and you're practically in love with the girl_, Jared said, his tone annoyed.

_You should be used to it by now_, I thought back, in defense.

Paul decided that he needed to put in some input. _I hate to say it but I can't blame him. Bella is fucking hot as anything! I would love to—_

_Finish that thought and I will hurt you so bad, Paul,_ I threatened him_._ No one could think about Bella in that way other than me.

_If only your dreams were real,_ Paul laughed. He was referring to my many sexual dreams that I had of Bella. I was beginning to hate being a teenage boy. I wished those dreams were real…

I pushed my legs faster, sniffing the air to find out what way Embry had gone. I couldn't hear him so I figured that he had already phased back. I couldn't hear Sam either.

Another bad part about it was we had no secrets. We knew each other thoughts, desires, fears, and everything in between. It was hard to get used to. We teased each other and joked around about all the things we found out by looking in each other's head. But honestly, there are some things that you don't want to know.

_I can't hear anyone else but us. Do you think they all phased back?_

Paul butted in. He always had to say something. _I wonder if we can hear Bella's thoughts. That would be awesome. We'd finally know what it's like to be inside a girl's head. _

_Bad part is she'll know what we're thinking. I don't think any girl wants to see or hear that._

Jared and Paul were having their own conversation. I was focused on getting to Bella. I don't think that it had sunk into my brain that Bella was a werewolf. I didn't have any proof that Embry was telling the truth. But he had to have been telling the truth. He wouldn't make all that up.

This was really happening.

I pushed my legs even faster, passing both Paul and Jared. I followed the footprints ion the mud. I could tell that I was getting closer to them when I inhaled the faint smell that was Bella. She smelled so good, like a flower.

I stopped dead in my track when I saw Embry in front of me, standing in his human form. I phased back and put my jeans back on, walking up slowly behind him. He slapped my chest with the back of his hand and then nodded in front of him

A few feet away, Sam was leaning up against the truck of a tree with Bella huddled up to him, dressed in Emily's clothes. She had her legs tucked up to her chest. Her arms and hands were shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't see her face because it was rested on Sam's chest and her long brown hair was like a curtain up against her skin. Sam had one arm around her shoulder, holding her protectively. This was a sight that I knew none of us would forget. It would be burned into our memory.

"Holy shit," Paul whispered, his voice low.

We stood there for what had to have been only minutes, but felt like hours. None of us knew what to do. We were too shocked to do anything.

I keep my eyes on Bella. I couldn't bear to take my focus off her. I wanted so badly to run up to her, take her in my arms and tell her everything but I stood in my spot. She must be so scared and confused. Her small, wonderful body stayed like a statue, completely still.

A thousand thoughts ran through my mind but only a few mattered at the moment. What was going to happen now? What was running through Bella's mind? Was she going to join the pack? It seemed like a reasonable possibility and the only one that made sense. Bella joining the pack would be, no doubt, the best thing in the world. I would be able to see her every day.

I started to fidget. Standing here staring was not what I wanted to do.

Sam looked up, his face stern and slightly angry. He moved Bella off him, leaning her into the tree for stability. He ran over to us. "What the hell are you doing here? I told you not to come," he growled through his teeth.

My gaze drifted back to Bella, who was still curled up but now sitting upright. Her head was to the side, revealing half of her pale face. Sam stood in front of me so he blocked me from looking over. "You need to go back," he told us sternly. "I don't want to give her any more stress than she has already."

Embry opened his mouth to protest but quickly closed it. "Let's go," he told Paul and Jared, knowing that there was no chance in hell that I was going to leave. They knew how I felt about her.

They took one last glance at Bella and ran off into the woods. My focus turned back to Bella. "Don't make me go," I pleaded to Sam.

He moved out of the way to let me by. I rushed over to Bella, crouching down by her side. She turned her head to me, meeting my eyes. She looked frightened but happy to see a familiar face.

"Jake," she breathed. My heart skipped a beat as she said my name.

I forgot how to speak. I hadn't seen her in so long. She was more beautiful then I had remembered.

Bella tried to move and I saw pain flash across her face. "Don't move," I managed to say. I remembered that every bone in my body hurt when I had first phased not that long ago. It must be even worse for Bella considering that she was so small and fragile right now. I hoped her body would be able to withstand the transformation that was now taking place. Tomorrow morning would be the worst day of her life—she'd be in more pain and discomfort.

My arms extended under her perfect body, picking her up into my arms. Her cheek fell onto my bare chest. She was so warm, almost hot against my own skin. Her body temperature must have spiked.

Sam turned to me. "We should bring her back, people are looking for her," he explained.

I nodded. "Okay."

Sam walked ahead of me while I walked with Bella in my arms. Her hands were still shaking but not as much anymore. Bella turned her head and her lips touched my skin. My heart started to race at the contact. I was trying hard not to think of Bella in sexual way; it was proving to be impossible. Her top was riding down, revealing a lot of her chest. She was so appealing. Her scent was driving me crazy.

I pushed the thought out and focused on where I was going. Charlie's house was coming into sight. There were a lot of people hanging around the house, including Harry Clearwater and my father. They hadn't yet been told about Bella. "How long was Bella in the woods," I asked Sam.

"All night," he replied.

"And you didn't say anything? We could have found her in—"

He cut me off. "No one told me until this morning and I went looking for her. Obviously, I found her but she phased and there was nothing I could do about it. I had to wait until she phased back…I still can't grasp the fact that's she's like us."

"Me either," I agreed.

I pulled Bella's body closer to mine as we got closer to the house. A few people saw us coming, spreading the word throughout the others. I made my way through the crowd until I came to Charlie, Harry, and my dad.

"She's not hurt," I told them.

"Oh, thank God," Charlie said, rushing over to me.

"Maybe we should go inside," I suggested.

We moved inside as Sam stayed behind to tell Harry and Billy of the news. I wondered how they would take it.

"Put her in her bedroom," Charlie told me, his words rushed and worried. He ran through the house and picked up the phone.

I climbed the stairs up to Bella's bedroom. I opened the door and set her down on her bed. Her arms sprawled, one touching her head. She was half awake. "It's really hot in here," she whispered, her head rolling to the side.

I bit my lip. I wasn't sure what I should do. Bella was fully dressed and she must be sweating underneath it all. I thought about taking the clothes off but I did not want it to seem like I was a pervert.

_It would make Bella more comfortable,_ I told myself. I knew I was trying to make any excuse that I could.

I slowly rolled up her shirt and pulled it off, setting it next to her. Then, I unhooked the buttons on her jeans and slid them down, letting my hands brush across her slim legs. . I felt guilty for it but Bella looked more comfortable. I was going to leave her bra and panties on, which were black with white lace. I stared for a moment, taking in her perfect body that was lying in front of me. A thousand of fantasies played out in my mind.

Thinking ahead, I walked over to the window and shoved it open so the fresh air would come in. I also thought that it would be easier to get into her room at night to see how she was doing.

I heard Charlie coming up the stairs. I quickly threw the sheets over her, grabbing the clothes off the bed and throwing them in the closet. I was dead it Charlie found out that I took Bella's clothes off. I would be held at gun point.

Charlie opened the door and looked at Bella, who was asleep. I was praying that he wouldn't pull the covers off.

"Where was she?" he questioned in a whisper so he wouldn't wake up his daughter.

"In the woods," I said honestly. I was going to leave out the part where she had turned into a werewolf.

Charlie's hands balled into fists. "Damn that Edward Cullen," he muttered.

_I hope that bloodsucker is damned. If he comes back…I'll tear him to shreds. _I imagined what it would be like to pull the filthy bloodsuckers limbs off. I smiled at the thought.

"Maybe we should let her sleep it off," Charlie said, heading towards the door, indicating that I should follow. I took one lasting look at Bella before exiting her bedroom.

Charlie sighed when he hit the ground floor. "Thanks for getting her, and thank Sam, too."

"I will. I just hope that's she's okay."

He nodded. "So do I, Jake, so do I."

I headed out the door and saw the looks of Harry and Billy's faces. _That what shock looks like, _I thought.

I was not in the mood to deal with that situation. I walked across the street and into the woods, where I slipped my jeans off and phased. I was going to wait until night before I went back to see Bella.

***

**I hope you enjoyed taking a look inside Jacob's head. You gotta love him *giggles***

**Reviews=LOVE**


	3. How Could This Have Happened

**I ususally never update this fast but I decided to write a chapter over the weekend and post it. My reviews really gave me ambition to get the next chapter out. Thank you to all who read and reviewed. I love you all so much!**

**Is the Eclipse trailer ever going to come out or am I the only one who is going crazy waiting to see it? Seriously, they are already done with filming; they can't show us the trailer? **

**So the other day, my boyfriend came up to me and said that he would finally see New Moon with me…and he actually really liked it! How surprised was I! Now, I love him even more…like he** **doesn't already know. He's Team Jacob, too—I probably would have dumped him if he was Team Edward…not. But I would have had to sit him down to have a talk about that.**

*******

BPOV

It was dark outside when my eyes fluttered back open. From the looks of it, I had kicked off the sheets. I also noticed that I was in nothing but my matching bra and panties. I usually wore plain white cotton ones but I had decided to wear something new for Edward. How that backfired on me…

Moving hurt so bad. Everything in my body hurt and every move that I made caused me pain.

It really did happen, all of it. In the early morning I_ had_ turned into a werewolf. But _how_ did this happen? I didn't understand any of it. I felt like crying because my life had gotten so messed up so quickly. I wouldn't, though. I was stronger than that.

I didn't remember a lot about what happened earlier today. After I had gotten back into my human form, it all turned down hill. I remember that Jacob had picked me up and brought me home, which was about it. This led me to wonder if he was the one who had taken my clothes off.

Outside, I heard someone. I held my breath. My window was open, blowing in the cool air that I didn't feel. I was burning. It was like my skin was on fire and there was no way to cool it down.

There was a new, heavy weight to my chest. I looked down in shock. My once A cup breasts had to have grown into a B cup, maybe bigger than that since the filled the bra that I was wearing. My breasts were almost popping out of the bra. I turned to the mirror that hung on the wall. _Well, at least they look nice. _I then looked at my legs and was relieved to see that I was still my five foot four self.

Even though it was pitch dark out, I could see crystal clear. Someone swung themselves through my window, shutting it behind them. I pushed myself up on my elbows. I wasn't even thinking that it was sort of a provocative position.

I instantly recognized Jacob. He had to have grown again. He was taller than I remembered and looked a lot older, not like he had just turned sixteen, but more like twenty-five. His muscles were the first thing that I noticed. They were gorgeous against his dark skin. Jacob Black was not a boy anymore.

"Hey," he said in a husky voice that was deeper than the last time I heard it. Jacob was staring straight at my body, mostly my chest that had grown overnight. I felt a light blush forming on my cheeks.

I tried to get up but it did not work out. "Ouch," I muttered.

Jacob rushed over to me, setting his hand on my back and gently pushing me back into the bed. "Be careful," he whispered, still staring uncontrollably. His voice was a little shaky from what I assumed to be nervousness. "Don't hurt yourself."

"Do you not know me? I'm a klutz. I'll always be hurting myself."

I was surprised that I wasn't bothered about his eyes on me. I would have thought that I would be self-conscious, but I wasn't. I actually liked that he was looking at me.

"Stare much?" I managed to say.

"Sorry," he murmured, embarrassed. I saw a blush forming under his dark skin. _Goodness, he's so attractive, and muscular, and drop dead gorgous. _When did all of this happen? The last time I saw him he was fifteen and was still had his innocent features that gave away his youthful agae. He was far from that now.

He looked tired so I moved over, despite the pain that shot through me. "Bella," Jacob started in protest. It warmed my heart to realize that he was worried about me. He cared.

"Lay down," I told him. "You've got to be tired."

He stood there for a minute, probably contemplating whether he was able to lay next to me. "Please," I said. "I don't want to be alone."

This was true. Being alone was the last thing that I wanted, especially now.

Jacob smiled and slowly lid down next to me, making sure that our bodies weren't touching. This annoyed me a bit. Before I could say anything, Jacob spoke up. "How are you? I know it must have been a huge shock…what do you think about it?"

I stared at the ceiling. "I'm not sure. What am I supposed to do?"

"Well," he began. "I guess you could join the…_pack_…if you wanted to. I think it would be smart decision. It's totally up to you, though, no pressure. It _would_ be pretty cool if you did. There has never been a female werewolf before."

"Not something I came run away from," I concluded.

He sighed. "No, it's not."

For some reason, I wanted to be closer to Jacob. Even though my body was so warm and so was his, I needed to be close to someone. I rolled onto my side and moved closer to his body. Instinctively, his hand rose to my side and brushed onto my back. He held me there looking nervous and out of place. He had no idea what to do.

For the first time, I thought about putting more clothes on. Maybe something that was light and wouldn't warm me up anymore than I was. The thought dissipated when I touched my own skin. I was literally on fire.

"Why am I so warm?"

Jacob nodded his head. "Yeah, I know. We run about one-oh-eight or one-oh-nine. You'll always be warm," he sighed. "You get used to it after awhile."

"When will the pain go away?" I asked.

"You won't feel it tomorrow. You pretty much go through it all overnight and in the morning you're fine—if that's even right word to use. When I first phased, I grew three inches, got all new muscles, and looked like I aged a bunch of years."

"Oh, by the way, happy belated birthday."

He smiled. "Yeah, same for you. Eighteen, huh? What does it feel like to be an adult?" I could by his tone that he was being sarcastic.

"Just wonderful," I replied, matching his sarcasm. It truly wasn't wonderful at all. It brought up the terrible memories of my birthday. My eighteenth birthday should have been special and the one birthday that I would want to remember forever. It was far from that. I never wanted to think about it. It would tear me apart.

I glanced at him. "I can still see that_ sixteen_ year old boy look in you."

"Jeez, thanks." He rolled his eyes and dropped his hand from my side and rolled it into his hair. _Beautiful black hair..._

I laughed a little. "No, it's a good thing. It's cute."

He twisted his head to me, his long hair hitting mine. "You look different," he told me, his eyes narrowing.

"What part of me? Where your eyes are glued?"I joked, looking down at my body. I _did_ look different. My stomach was completely flat, extending up to where my huge chest started. I still had my hourglass figure but it seemed like it was cuter now. My legs were slim, along with my thighs.

I was wide awake now and I knew that there was no chance of getting back to sleep. I wondered what it was like to watch someone else sleep. _Edward had always watched me._ I was shocked when thinking the name didn't tear me apart inside. I barely felt anything, but, there was something: rejection. He didn't want me. Did he ever? It was hard to tell.

I wanted so bad to get rid of the hurt, the pain he gave me. I scooted closer to Jacob, not caring that I was half dressed and pressing into his body. I hadn't seen this boy in months and yet, it was like we had been best friends forever. I was comforted by his presence.

In a second, a shock of pain ran up through my back, hitting my spine. My lower back arched somewhat as the pain remained in place with full force. I bit down on my lip really hard and shut my eyes real tight. It wasn't enough to keep my silent. My mouth flew open in a gasp filled with agony. "Jake, it hurts…bad."

"Where?" he asked in a concerned voice. Jacob slipped his hand underneath me and gently pressed down on spot near my spine.

My hand grabbed a fist full of my brown hair. I couldn't take this anymore, the pain was too much. I rolled over onto my side again, hoping that Jacob would make the pain go away. Little by little, all of the hurt vanished and I relaxed again. I never wanted to feel that again.

"Go to sleep," I whispered as I leaned my head onto Jacob's muscular chest. I heard his heart beating incredibly fast. "Are you nervous about something, Jake?"

He cleared his throat. "No." I could tell it was a lie.

Minutes later, Jacob was snoring lightly in my ear. He must have been so tired. His hand had slipped to my lower back and held me against him. I was dead wrong about not being able to get back to sleep. Jacob's snoring was soothing me, making me sleepy again. I closed my eyelids and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Light poured through my room in the morning. I read the bright neon numbers on my clock—reading eleven o'clock. Jacob had been right, my body no longer hurt. I felt…better. It was crazy to think that thirty hours ago I was a normal girl that had been dumped by a vampire. Now, I was a werewolf and had a half naked boy sleeping in my bed. Not to mention, I didn't have much clothing on myself.

I got out of bed, feeling the new weight to my chest, and dressed in skimpy jean shorts that Jessica had given me. Before I put a top on, I went over to my dresser and pulled out the first drawer. Inside there was a bunch of bra that had been too big on me before. I took a red push up bra that looked like it would fit me. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure that Jacob was still sleeping. Then, I made sure that my curtains were closed. I wasn't going to end up flashing anyone.

I unhooked the bra that I was wearing and let it drop to the floor. I heard Jacob stir behind me. "I don't usually wake up to this in the morning," he said. I imagined he had a smirk on his face.

"_Usually?_" I was thankful that I was faced away from him so all he saw was my back. I snapped the bra on, grabbing the first shirt that my hands touched out of my closet. "Is this good?"

Jacob puts his arms behind his head. I felt kind of shy at this action. "You mean the see through white top? Yeah, that's perfect." I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. He decided to clarify a bit. "You won't want to wear something that you wouldn't want ruined."

"I'll keep this on," I said. "What are we doing today?"

Jacob got up off the bed and crossed the room to me. It was strange that I was so comfortable around him.

"Well we were all going to go cliff diving today but, if you're going to be too scared…"

I crossed my arms. "I won't be scared."

"Then I guess we know what we're doing today. Come on, I'll introduce you to the guys." By _the guys_, I assumed he meant the members of the pack. Who else would he want to introduce me to?

I had no clue as to where my keys where. "And how are we going to get to La Push?"

He smiled. "You could always phase and we could run," he suggested.

"I-I don't know how to," I stammered, feeling stupid.

He tugged at my arm. "Then I guess I'll have to teach you," he said. "Let's go outside."

Jacob walked over to the window. "Charlie will hear you if we go down the steps."

My mouth fell open. "You want me to jump out my window? Are crazy? I'll hurt myself; you know how clumsy I am."

"Don't worry, you won't hurt yourself."

Sneaking out was not something that I had ever done before—although I think sneaking out is pretty mush done at night so technically it could be called that. It wasn't like I was banned to leave my room or anything like that. I looked around. "I need to leave a note in case Charlie comes out. He'll freak if I go missing again."

"That's probably a good idea."

I grabbed a pen and a yellow sticky note.

_Dad,_

_Went to La Push with Jacob. Don't worry, I'm okay_

_Bella_

I kept it short and simple, setting the note on my pillow. "Alright, let's go," I finally said.

Jacob jumped right out the window with no problem. I leaned over and stuck my head out. I was definitely going to break my leg if I followed. I was sure that I could walk down the steps without Charlie seeing but it was risky. He wouldn't want me to go anywhere.

I took a deep breath and swung my legs over the windowsill, ducking under. Jacob was waiting below. "I can't do it," I yelled, loud enough for Jacob to here but not Charlie.

"Come on, Bella," he encouraged. "I'll catch you."

I sucked in a sharp breath and let myself drop. Wind rushed past me as my hair flew up, hitting me in the face. I couldn't see a thing until I felt Jacob's arms around me. He caught me in a bride style. "You see, that wasn't so bad."

He set me down onto the ground. He took my hand and took me into the woods. I couldn't believe that I found my footing without looking at the ground, it was coming naturally. Jacob towed me deep through the trees until I came to his side. "Where are we going?"

"Don't you want to learn how to phase?"

I wasn't quite sure how to answer. "Um, sure." Honestly, I wasn't ready for that just yet. I was still getting used to the whole werewolf thing.

He could tell I was hesitant. "How about we do that later, then. We should really so see Sam and the others first."

We continued to walk through the woods until we came to the highway that we started to follow to La Push. There wasn't a single person out on the road, which was odd for a Saturday afternoon. Somehow I managed to get ahead of Jacob, with him about a foot behind me.

"Bella?"

"What?" I asked.

He gave a low laugh and came up behind me. "You're ass is pratically hanging out," he told me in a laugh, grabbing the material of my shorts and pulling them down so I was covered. I was embarrassed, blushing a deep red. I was glad to know that he couldn't have seen much.

My hands immediately flew out and landed on my bottom. Jacob passed by me and walked backwards with a smirk his face. "So that's why you were walking behind me!"

I walked up to him and shoved on his chest in a playful manner. He stumbled back and grabbed my hands. "Hey, be glad I was the only one who saw. A bunch of guys could have driven by and saw you."

"I don't think so. You would never let _any_ other guy see me. They might steal me away," I huffed.

Jacob chuckled. "Yeah, make sure you watch out for Paul."

"Paul? Is that another one of the guys?"

He nodded. "It's also the definition of an asshole."

"I'm can't wait to meet him." I gave a fake smile, latching onto Jacob's arm. "He sounds charming."

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	4. Let The Games Begin

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JPOV

For someone who had just learned they were a werewolf, Bella was taking pretty well. After the overall shock was gone, that is. It was only less than forty-eight hours ago that this took place. I guess crazy shit does happen.

She wasn't as different as I had suspected she would be. Bella was still herself. She might dress a lot sexier, which by the way was making me crazy. It was hard to look at her and not want to rip open her shirt and kiss her all over. I was trying really hard to keep my eyes on hers instead of her body. It was proving to be very difficult.

She was so small compared to me. She was almost like a fragile doll. Her body was perfect, every aspect of it. Her long hair fit her face, her gorgeous face. I couldn't help but fall into a stare sometimes.

Bella was still Bella, though, and I was grateful for that. She was still the girl that I had a crush on since I could walk. She had always been older than me, something I resented, and we remained friends. Even though I hadn't seen her too often since she had started dating that Cullen guy, she was in my mind all the time. Her face would pop up when I would talk to other girls, making me end up walking away thinking about Bella.

Now she was a werewolf, too. It was hard to understand it all. I knew we both had a lot of questions but none of that mattered right now. _Bella's a werewolf_, I pondered the thought. _My Bella is a werewolf._

There was only one bad thing to this entire situation and that was that Bella was most likely going to know everything when she phased again. She would hear my thoughts and immediately know how I felt about her. _Oh, God, she'll know and see the dreams I have about her,_ I sadly thought to myself. This was going to be so embarrassing.

Bella.

Even her name was beautiful.

I was getting really nervous as we crossed the line into La Push. I already had a feeling that the pack was at my house, waiting for me, knowing that Bella would be with me. I needed to watch out for Paul. The asshole would probably go after Bella in a heartbeat. He knew how a felt about her and there was no way in hell that he would pass up an opportunity to make me angry…or jealous. Jealous over Paul? Yeah, I'd like to see that happen. What a douche he was. There was no way that Bella would see anything in him.

Bella walked silently beside me. She had a newfound grace to her. I couldn't hear her footsteps beside me, only the rustling of her brown curls in the wind. She was peaceful and quiet, like she was taking all the sights in. I wondered what she was thinking about. I smiled at the fact that soon I would be able to know exactly what she was thinking. I hoped that it would work to by benefit and not against me in any way.

"Should I cut my hair?" I asked her. I'd been debating for awhile about the subject. My hair fell a little below my shoulder now and it _would _be easier to just cut it and crop it short. I wanted to know what she thought.

Bella's eyes widened, in what I presumed to be shock. "No!" she shrieked. "Don't cut it. I love it long."

I was surprised by her answer. "Oh, okay, I won't," I replied. _She likes your hair._

Bella sighed next to me. "Do you promise? You can only cut it if I say you can. Deal?"

"Deal," I agreed. "_Whatever _makes you happy."

We walked in some more silence. It wasn't until we were beginning to approach my house that I spoke again. "Just to let you know, the guys can get pretty rough. Hopefully they will behave themselves a little more now that you're going to be around. "

"Tell me something about them so I'm not completely clueless when I see them," Bella told me, stopping so that we didn't have to go any further. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was nervous.

I thought for a moment. "Well, there's Embry. H's one of my best friends—one you won't have too much of a problem with. He's a nice guy. Jared's cool, too. He's quiet like Embry and he's nice, also. As you know, Sam's the alpha. You probably already know a lot about him since he found you that night." I stopped, remembering that night. I never did get a reason why she was out there in the first place. I would have to ask her about that.

Bella continued for me. "And then there's Paul." Her tone of voice revealed that she already didn't like him too much. Score one for me. She never even met him and I was already deterring her away from him.

"Then there's Paul," I repeated, annoyed by his name. "He's thinks he's the best thing in the world. He also thinks that he's a God or some shit like that. He always brags about how good-looking he is how he's a player. Some advice, don't believe a word he says. He's full of it." I smirked a little, remembering a previous conversation.

Bella gave a small laugh, making me love that as well. The list went on and on.

"Do you think they'll…accept me?" Bella asked, turning her head toward my red house.

I smile reassuringly. "They will love you. I'm sure of it.

Bella took a deep breath and slowly started to move across the wet leaves to my house. I walked in front of her, almost shielding her. She crept up behind me and huddled in towards me. We walked up the steps and I opened the door. "Here goes nothing," I muttered.

Four pairs of eyes turned to me. I had only made it halfway through the door when I felt Bella freeze behind me. All eyes were on her. The awkwardness of it all was prevalent; no one made a sound. I cleared my throat, taking Bella by the wrist and pulling her in. She looked overwhelmed.

"So," I started, not knowing how to finish.

"Bella," Embry said, standing up straight like he had just been introduced to the queen of England. "You going cliff diving?"

I stared at him. Out of all the things he could have said, he asked her that. What an idiot. "If she wants to she will," I barked. I was sure that Bella was going to find it way too high and scary. What girl even wants to jump off a cliff for fun?

"Sweet," Jared chirped in. He stood up as well, mimicking Embry. "Let's go teach this girl how it's done."

I wasn't surprised that they were accepting but I had expected there to be more of a resistance. Bella wasn't even Quileute. She was so pale and so not like us. This was what had kept me up all night last night. I was thinking about all the possibilities as to how Bella transformed into a werewolf. I came up with nothing. There was no valid explanation as to why it did happen; at least for now there was no explanation. We would find out the truth…if it's what Bella wants.

_Whatever she wants,_ I told myself sincerely. _You are now completely loyal to her._

Without me realizing it right away, my hand extended out and grabbed Bella's waist, pulling her towards me. "Let's get going, then."

I moved out of the way so they could all get past. Bella leaned into my side, moving with me. When all of the guys got the door, they stopped and slowly walked by so that they could get a good look at Bella. Already knowing that Paul was going to be torturous, he stopped and turned to face Bella before walking out. He didn't even look at me, or at least not in the eye. He stared at Bella with a huge smirk on his face.

"I like the outfit," he told her, trying to make his voice sound sexy.

My hands clenched into fists at my side and before I could use them, Paul ducked his head and followed the others into the woods. I could have sworn he muttered under his breath, "Let the games begin." _Here we go._

Bella looked up at me. "They didn't say much."

"Bells, sometimes you can leave people speechless. Even if you don't say anything. Just walk into a room and all conversations will stop," I told her.

"I'm that good," she sighed in a joking matter.

_You're probably good at _everything _Bella,_ I added. I needed to get my mind out of the gutter. I needed to focus. But, it was hard to think or focus on anything that didn't have to do with her. She was wrapped around my mind and there was no changing that. Like I would even want to change that.

Bella's eyes fluttered up at me, waiting for me to say something. I cleared my throat. "They'll be phasing to get to the cliffs," I informed her. "We'll walk, though, since you're not comfortable phasing yet."

Bella smiled in relief. "You are going to have to teach me how to…_phase_." It seemed like she wasn't comfortable using the word out loud.

"That's another day," I said, not wanting to put pressure on her. "Today we are going cliff diving—well I'm going cliff diving. I'm sure that you'll be way too scared to even get near the edge."

Bella's jaw dropped. "Will not! I _am_ going to jump. You'll see, Jacob."

Bella walked passed me, pretending to be mad and storming off into the woods with me close behind her. I began to stare again, it was hard not to. I just wanted to go up to her and grab her ass. She was going to drive me insane.

She came to a sudden stop as my eyes drifted back up her face. "What are you looking at?" she questioned.

I was caught. "Take a wild guess. Bella, you're going to have to make a mental note to never wear those shorts again."

"Fine," she agreed. "I won't ever wear them again." She said, pulling the material down again. I could that she was blushing.

We were walking side by side now. In the distance, through the thick trees, I could see the cliffs. From the looks of it, the guys were waiting for us. "You know," I started. "I think you should push Paul off the cliff."

Bella laughed. "I'm going to push you off the cliff first," she giggled, bumping me on the side of my arm. "Then, I might go for Paul. Or maybe you should fight over me and push each other off. That would be a riot."

"I swear if Paul puts one finger on you," I muttered, my voice fading at the end. I didn't want Bella to know how deep my feelings were for her until they had to come out. I had to watch what I said…and did.

"You'll what?" Bella asked, curious as to what I was going to say next.

I thought for a moment. "Well, let's say that there would be one less member of the pack," I half-joked. Paul was being a real creep lately.

We both laughed. "I guess I would have to replace him, then."

When we got to the cliffs, the wind was starting to pick up again. I tried to encourage Bella to go to the edge but she wouldn't budge. _I knew it. _When I walked over to Embry, Sam took the opportunity to go talk to Bella. I gave them their privacy, listening wise. I still watched Bella's body language to see if she was uncomfortable or if she was nervous. She bit her lip twice, so that meant she was either nervous or overwhelmed.

Embry nudged me in the ribcage. "This is so fucking awesome," he said in a low voice. "It's Bella Swan, dude! The girl you've had a crush on for years and she's one of us."

Paul and Jared came over to us, joining in on the conversation. Paul was the first one to speak. "So let's make a bet. Who do you think will see her naked first?"

After he said that, Sam turned around and gave him a stern look. Paul dropped his eyes to the ground and looked away until Sam went back to talking to Bella. I wasn't sure if she had heard what he had said or not.

"My money's on Jacob," Embry laughed. "But, who will _Bella_ see first?" I felt the slight satisfaction that he had his money on me. _What does Bella look like naked? Probably fucking amazing. She already the hottest girl i've ever seen. Damn, she's probably an animal in bed_, I thought. I was going to have some good dreams tonight.

I was brought out of my daydreams when Paul flexed his muscles. "Probably me. I don't think she'll be able to resist me." I let that one go. There was no point getting into it now.

Both Embry and Jared snorted and bursted into laughter. "Dude, she'll most likely run away screaming if she saw you in the middle of the woods with no pants on. I've had the unfortunate event of seeing you and it's not something that I ever want to see again."

Paul snorted. "Well, to bad for you. I have to see you also and believe me, Bella will freak if she—"

"Enough," Sam interrupted our stupid conversation that was getting way out of hand. "Hopefully Bella will not have to be traumatized by seeing any of you without clothes. And if _anyone _of you even think about looking at her naked, there is going to be some problems." We all turned to Paul.

_Awkward subject, _I said to myself.

Bella had her arms folded over her chest, her face red from what Sam said. I was actually glad he said it, though. He was acting like an older brother towards Bella, protecting her. I was grateful for that.

Paul shrugged. "What?"

"Forget it," I told him. "So, who's going first?"

The water was churning below us. It crashed up against the rocks, forming white foam. It was partially rough out today. There was yet another storm heading for Washington and even though it was sunny out, the storm was rolling in at a fast speed. It was going to hit soon, maybe in the late afternoon. I could already smell it coming in from the Pacific. On the horizon, you could see dark clouds forming out at sea.

"We might want to get this bowl rolling or we'll get stuck in some nasty weather," Jared informed us, seeing what I was.

Embry stepped out of the way, taking his hand and pointing it over the cliff. "Lady's first."

All eyes went to Bella. She locked her eyes with mine and shook her head. "Hey, this is my first time doing this. I think you'll need to show me how."

Jared gave a wicked laugh. "I'll go," he said. He walked back to the edge of the woods, where the trees started. He took a deep breath as me cleared the way for him. "Watch and learn, sweetie."

I kept my eyes on Bella when Jared ran forward and flung himself over the cliff edge. She looked both shocked and amazed. Her eyes widened in excitement, looking up at me and smiling. She didn't look so scared anymore. She even walked over to the edge and looked over. "That's a long way down," she murmured.

"It's a total rush. It's scary as hell the first few times but you get used to it," I told her. "You'll have fun, that is if you still want to do this."

"Definitely," Bella replied. I could tell there was a hint of fear in her voice.

I looked down again to see where Jared was exactly. He was on the beach, waiting for the rest of us. Maybe he just was waiting to see Bella jump off from a good angle.

I was about to tell Bella to jump when I smelled a faint icy sweet smell that only meant one thing: vampire. I couldn't tell what direction it was coming in since the wind was blowing all over the place. My hands started to shake violently. Behind me, Paul pushed me out of the way

I turned around and punched him in the shoulder. "Ouch," he muttered, rubbing where I hit. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"My problem? What's—"I stopped myself immediately. Bella wasn't where she had been before. She was no where in sight. I went into panic mode, not knowing what to do first.

"Jacob!" Jared called from the beach. He pointed to the water. I rushed to look over the edge, pushing Paul out of my way.

In the water below, there was a huge white spot of water. "You, idiot!" I shouted at Paul. "You knocked her in!" I was about to pound the shit out Paul but as I stared at the water, I could no longer move. A dark red color was forming underneath the waves and was floating up to the top. It was spreading everywhere.

Blood.

Bella's blood.

I didn't even think before I flung myself off the cliff to rescue her.

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	5. Drowning Can Do That To You

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BPOV

Before I could even breathe, I was falling down, my body rushing through the air. My voice built up to scream but the wind rushed past me too fast for any sound to come out. I couldn't catch my breath. My heart leapt as I crashed into the swirling waves. It was like a thousand daggers had just stabbed over my entire body, repeatedly. The immediate thing I felt was pain. It was all over. My stomach and leg scrapped up against a huge rock as my body was thrown around in the water. Air came out of my mouth in what was supposed to be a scream. I was only losing air that I needed to survive under the water,

Violent waves crashed into me, throwing me all over the place. The waves and currents were so strong that there was not a reason to try and fight them. I would lose no matter what. My arms flew out so I could try and get to the surface but the strong current dragged me down towards the bottom. I was thrown up against another rock the jetted out from the seafloor, this time it hitting me on the back. The rough surface dug in hard into my skin. I felt a sharp pain go through my back and into my stomach area. My hands reached down to see what happened. A long piece of rock that had jetted out went through the skin of my back and poked out the other side of my stomach, going completely through my body.

More air escaped from my lungs, using everything that was left. I sucked in water, stinging my throat as it began to fill up my lungs. Around me, I was swimming in my own blood. The red color gushed out from my torso and my leg. My arms floated above my head and my legs were limp below me. I was slowly floating down to the bottom, where there was no light. It was getting darker and darker. Everything became blurry in a second. A few bubbles escaped from my mouth as I was dragged further down to where the water was calmer.

I wasn't breathing but I was still alive, still hanging on. More blood filled the water around me, streaking the clear water from where I had originally been cut open. It was a long line of blood that trailed down to me.

Even with my blurry vision, I could see a figure above me. My eyes could no longer stay open in the salty water so they closed shut. A hand touched my shoulder and pulled me up. My head finally broke over the surface. I heard my assumed rescuer gasp. I wanted to as well, but nothing happened. I wanted to cough out all the water that filled my lungs. I couldn't.

I felt stiff, unable to move as they dragged me out of the water. I was only thinking now. That was the last part of my body that was alive.

Warm hands touched my chest. "I don't feel a heartbeat," someone said. The voice sounded like Jacob but I could not be sure. I was already halfway dead. Probably more than that.

I heard someone else next to me. "I need you to give her air when I tell you to," a new voice said. "Can you do that?" I thought that it might be Sam.

Jacob's voice was shaky. "Yes."

Repetitive pumps were forced onto my chest. It was hurting me, but not more than my stomach and back was. My hands were out to my side and I could feel the warm liquid flowing out from my body and onto the ground.

_Please don't let me die this way_, I begged. _It's not fair, not fair at all. I want to live._

Warm lips touched mine and blew air into my lungs. Apart from everything, they felt nice on mine. I felt connected.

The instant they pulled away, my chest heaved into a cough. My eyes flashed open so that I was looking at the sky. I pushed myself up with my elbows and rolled onto my side, violently coughing the salty water out. In three coughs, the water was on the beach and my throat was stinging. It was like the walls of my throat had been peeled back and doused with alcohol.

I fell back into the wet sand. I couldn't say anything, or move, or even breathe properly. "Thank goodness," I heard Jacob exhale, grabbing my hand that was extended down at my side. "Bella, can you hear me?"

I moaned to let him know that I understood him, that was all I could do. My head was so clogged I couldn't think straight. My vision was still blurry and unfocused. A warm hand touched my check, presumably Jacob's. "I'm gonna kill him," he growled.

"We can deal with that later," Sam said in a calm voice. "Bring her back to your place and tend to those wounds. They look pretty deep…I'll come over and make sure she's okay later. For now, I'm going to see if I can go find the others and were the bloodsucker is."

"Through my stomach," I told them, though the words were most likely not understandable to them. A piece of rock had gone entirely through my back and poked itself out the other side. My hand trailed up and body and onto the hole to the side of my stomach. I tried to keep the blood from coming out.

"Come on," Jacob whispered, gently picking me up into his arms. We started to walk in the trees—the only way I knew that was because the sun got blocked out as we entered the thick mass of green. It reminded me of the night when Sam found me and then Jacob carried me home. Like that, except the first time I wasn't half dead a few minutes before.

I wished that I could say something, anything, but I couldn't. I still couldn't move my limbs, either. My head bobbed up and down, to the left and right as we walked until Jacob placed moved it so I was resting onto his chest. Sooner than I could realize, Jacob was walking up the steps to his house. Had he been running? He had to have been.

"Jake," I whispered in the lowest voice. I could barely even hear myself talk. My ears were ringing from the depth of the ocean I had descended into. "It hurts." I took my hand away from my wound since I didn't feel like it was bleeding as much as it had before.

He brought me closer to his body as he rushed through the house. He opened a door and I opened my eyes back up. We were in the bathroom. Jacob set me down on the sink and held me in place. I knew I couldn't keep my own weight up so I latched onto his arms, fearing that I would fall over and crack my head open on the floor.

"Oh, God," Jacob moaned, lifting up my shirt to examine the damage. "You look awful."

"Well, thanks," I managed to say.

I looked up at Jacob. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I knew something was going to go wrong. Then Paul decides to push you off a damn cliff."

"It was an accident," I confirmed. "I don't think he would ever intentionally push me off. I shouldn't have been standing so close to the edge anyways. You were right. It was really scaring looking."

Jacob balled his hands into fists. "Don't put this on you, Bella. It's all Paul's fault."

I wasn't going to argue with him, I was in too much pain to care. A sharp prick ran against my wound, causing me to hunch over and my head to lean against Jacob. My arms wrapped around my stomach. More blood came out which made me think that I might have just torn the wound open. A noise escaped and Jacob pushed me back into a sitting position. Without any hesitation, he tore my shirt off.

Now I saw what I looked like. Jacob had been right, I did look awful. My torso did not even look human or like it belonged to me. I hoped that I didn't have scars from this.

Jacob threw my already ruined top into the sink and helped my down of the sink. He leaned over and turned the water for the shower on, keeping on hand around my side so I would lose my balance. He moved the white shower curtain out of the way, then turned to meet my eyes. "The water will help you heal," he told me. I could see in his eyes that he was worried about me.

"Heal?"

He smirked. "It's part of the whole werewolf thing. You heal fast. By morning you'll be perfectly back to normal."

I stood there frozen, until a slight pain came back. I lunched over again but this time Jacob grabbed my arms and lifted my up and over the edge of the shower. "Ouch," I muttered. "This healing thing better start soon."

I moved ever so slightly, causing me to slip on the wet floor. Luckily, Jacob had his arms around me and caught me before I smacked my head against the wall. A few tears rolled down my cheeks because of the pain. The water wasn't even hitting me directly where it needed to go and I was already experiencing the stinging pain.

"I'm going to fall," I inhaled sharply.

Jacob already knew that, though. He climbed in behind and wrapped his arms around me. "Don't worry, I got you."

"No, Jake, you'll get all wet," I protested. My legs were becoming limp again and this made Jacob put one arm around where my shorts started, careful not to touch my injury, and the other hooked around my shoulder.

"Oh, please, Bella. I hardly care if I get wet. I'm not going to let you slip and fall," he said.

Jacob slowly turned me towards the water so it was hitting me full force in the stomach. I bit my lip so I wouldn't scream. "This is worse than drowning," I said through clenched teeth. My head swayed to the side, wishing that it would I could just get out of here. It hurt so bad.

Jacob seemed to be reading my thoughts. "I know it hurts," he whispered into my ear, hearing me almost sobbing. "It'll help, I swear."

"You better be right."

I felt myself feeling dizzy so I put one hand up on the shower wall. I leaned back into Jacob while he moved his hand down and put it on my injury. It stung a bit but not as much as before. He gently wiped any remaining blood off. When it no longer was hurting me, we both got out of the shower, Jacob carrying me. He wrapped a towel around me and left the room to get some of his sister's clothes for me. He came back with a purple V neck top and a pair of soft looking pair of pants. I could tell they were going to be long on me; the twins were very tall.

"Thanks," I said in a soft voice. I felt extremely tired and hitting the point of exhaustion. When I looked in the mirror, I saw that my eyes had a faint red tint to them. The rest of my face was pale, the usual. My brown curls fell lifelessly around my face.

I got finished changing, with much difficult. I hurt to bend over. Even then, I refused to look at my torso, thinking that I would see something that would make me want to throw up.I opened the bathroom door to see Jacob standing against the wall, waiting for me. I quickly looked away. "Don't look at me. I look like hell."

Jacob laughed. "You look gorgeous, Bella. No matter what, you will always look beautiful." I met his eyes and realized that he was telling the truth.

"That's sweet," I murmured. "How is it that you always know what to say to make me feel better?"

He shrugged, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. "I don't know."

To steady myself, I grabbed a hold of the door frame. "I think my body is beginning to shut down."

Jacob came to my side in an instant. "I got you." He picked me up in one swift movement and carried me throughout the house. I assumed that we would be going to his room.

I had thought correctly. Jacob turned the knob on his door and brought me into his room, setting me down on his queen size bed. "It's a good thing I just got a new bed," he whispered, setting me down and pulling the black sheets up and over my body so that it was midway up my chest. "You've got to be tired."

"Well, I hear that falling off a cliff, drowning and being almost dead can do that to you." I thought for a moment. "I didn't thank you for saving me yet, did I?"

"You don't need to," he assured me.

I stared at him for a moment. "If it had been a minute, a few seconds later, I would probably be—"

Jacob wouldn't let me finish. "How about we don't think about what _would _have happened but what did. You're still alive so…let's leave it at that."

"Leave it at that," I repeated, agreeing. "That sounds good to me."

There was an awkward silence between us. It looked like Jacob wanted to say something else but was holding back. After a moment, he turned to leave. "Wait, don't go," I pleaded. He turned back around, his brows furrowing. "I sleep better when you're near me. I feel at peace."

He smiled and nodded, coming back over to me. I moved over as Jacob got on top of the covers. He turned onto his side so that he could face me. "Get some rest, Bells." Jacob brushed my cheek; the touch making me shut my eyes for some much needed sleep.

Before I drifted off to sleep, I felt Jacob brushing up and down on my arm with his fingers. I nuzzled closer to him. I realized how jealous I was of him. He had perfect skin, a beautiful rustic color that I could only dream of. Speaking of dreams, I was about to fall into one…

_The skies were dark and dreary, the way they always were. I was walking through the wood, searching for an unknown factor. Ahead of me stood a dark figure that didn't move an inch. I walked toward the figure, curious to see who it was._

_I was right behind it and reached out my hand to their shoulder. They were very cold, feeling like stone or granite. They grabbed my hand a turned around in a movement that was non-human._

_It was Alice._

_She was the same as she was in person. Her short spiky hair fell to her shoulder and her face was still frozen with immortality. Her topaz eyes glanced around franticly, like she was waiting for something to attack her. She stared at me, bewildered, searching in my eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked her._

_She shook her head, her forehead creasing. "Can't see you," she whispered, the words fast and shocked. She cocked her head up. "Why?"_

_I didn't answer. For some reason, I wasn't able to. I reached out to touch her but Alice then disappeared into thin air._

I woke up in a gasp, my body jolting. It was pitch dark out with no moon shining in through the window. I turned to see if my awakening had woke up Jacob. He was still sound asleep. I smiled because he looked so peaceful. I laid back down on the bed, closer to him.

A tear rolled down my cheek when I started to think about the dream. It was so strange. I had never had a dream like this before. My heart was breaking again.

"It was just a dream," I told myself out loud. "Just a dream."

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	6. Under My Skin

**It is incredibly hard to write in a guy's perspective! It is the hardest thing that I have ever done. I can only imagine what's going on in that boys head. I hope it sounds good.**

**On another note, thank you for my reviews! I love them oh so dearly. I'm glad you all like the story.**

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JPOV

Bella was dreaming next to me. Maybe it was creepy to be watching her sleep, but I had to admit that it was so addicting. She slept so soundly, her face looking innocent. Her breathing was steady and slow, allowing me to know that she was dreaming peacefully. She was curled up on her side, facing me. She looked adorable. Absolutely freaking adorable.

_Our lips touched._

It wasn't the best situation but I did almost technically kiss Bella, if you could even call it a kiss. I was only blowing air into her lungs but whatever it was, I didn't care. My lips had touched Bella's. It had been amazing. She was the first girl I had ever touched lips with. It sounded so stupid to think that way. I could only wonder what a real kiss with her would be like. I wanted her to be my first _everythin_g.

My feelings for her were growing with each passing second. Every time I looked into her beautiful chocolate eyes, my heart yearned for even more. I knew that it wasn't just a crush anymore. It was more than that. The feelings would continue to grow and grow, and I had no intention of making them stop. I would never in a million years want them to.

That reminded me to talk to Sam. I needed to know how to control my thoughts about her since she would hear everything that I thought. That was one tweak I hadn't yet figured out. Of course I wouldn't want her to know everything right away. It would all hit her right in the face, no doubt overwhelm her. That was where Sam came in. I had noticed that he didn't let us see anything pertaining to a certain aspect of his life with Emily—the stuff that belonged in the bedroom. I was grateful that. I really did not need to see any of it. Unfortunately, the other guys always had sex on their brain. I was no exception.

_Sex._

_Bella._

_Sex._

_Bella._

Yup, that was how my thoughts went every day since I had met her on the beach.

Sex was the topic of almost every conversation. Though, it wasn't fun to see any of the weird dreams that some of the guys have had, or let them see what ones that you've had yourself. We were all pretty freaked out when Jared had a crazy ass dream about Paul. It was the most hilarious three days of my life. Paul wouldn't go near him for a week. We all had to make sure that Jared was still into girls.

I stared up at the ceiling and closed my eyes shut. I couldn't decide what fantasy I wanted to have about Bella…

_Bella completely naked and moving beneath me_.

I smiled as I imagined it. I hoped that my fantasies would soon become reality.

I moved my head so that I was looking at Bella. Of course I had imagined her naked plenty of times but, I was really curious as to what she looked like under her clothing. There was no doubt in my mind that she looked hot, even thinking about her naked made me want to fuck her right this second. I had to stop now or else Bella was going to wake up with an erection hard against her side. _She'd be thrilled about that,_ I thought sarcastically_, she'd probably freak out. _

It was hard not to think of all the possibilities with Bella and me. I wouldn't blame myself. I decided to get up so that I wouldn't disturb her sleeping. It was already well into the afternoon but I wasn't going to blame her for sleeping in. Hell, I wouldn't blame her if she slept the entire day. I knew it was tiring being a werewolf, especially being newly transformed. Plus, Paul pushed her off the damn cliff yesterday. _Idiot, I_ remarked in my head. He was going to get a beat down for that.

The thought made me mad, so mad that my hands and arms were shaking. Bella could have drowned. _But she didn't, you saved her,_ I told myself. _She is fine and is sleeping. No damage done._

It made me think a bit about the injuries Bella had gotten yesterday. They had been so bad. I quietly walked back into my bedroom and over to Bella. I needed to make sure that she was okay. I slowly peeled back the covers and lifted up her top so that it revealed her stomach. I expected to see some scars since the accident happened less than twenty-four hours ago, but to my surprise, there wasn't any. I only saw the pale white skin of her flat stomach. I gently pulled her shirt back down before I fell into a stare. She would think I was a freak if she woke up and I was looking right at her with my hand halfway up her shirt. That would go over so well with her.

I made my exit out the back door. I was sure that I had some valuable time because Bella wasn't going to wake up for awhile. I phased and tore through the woods, my paws hitting the dirt so fast that it hardly seemed that I was running.

_Damn, dude! You scared the crap out of me!_ Embry expressed when I came up behind him. _Don't ever sneak up on me like that._

_You have to be kidding. How the hell could I have snuck up on you when you can hear my thoughts the entire time?_

Embry snorted. _Just because I can hear you thoughts doesn't mean I know exactly where you are. You could have said something, but, no! You were way to busy thinking about Bella…She is okay, right?_

_She's fine now,_ I told him honestly. _Which reminds me, where's Paul?_

_Jake, don't get into it with him,_ Embry advised. _It's not even worth it. How do you think Bella will feel if you start fighting with Paul? He is keeping a low profile anyways. Just let it be._

Maybe taking Embry's advice would be a smart thing to do. _Alright, I won't start anything._

_Good,_ he remarked.

_Where's Sam? I need to talk to him._

_At Emily's,_ he told me. _You might be able to catch him if you run. Come find me when you're done. I've been out here all night talking to myself._

I snickered._ Yeah, okay._

I broke into a run, heading to Emily's. I got there as Sam was heading out. "Sam!" I yelled, catching his attention. "I need to talk to you."

He looked worried. Sam probably thought I was here to talk about Paul. "What is it?" he asked. "If this is about Paul, Jacob—"

I cut him off. "It's not. I only have a question for you."

It looked like he relaxed a bit. "Shoot."

"I was just wondering how to control my thoughts. You see, with the whole Bella thing—I don't want her to see anything in my head that might freak her out or something like that. I really need to learn how to control them…I don't know how to, though. And I'm sure that Bella will be phasing soon so I don't have much time."

Sam smiled and nodded. "Yes, you definitely do need to learn how to control them. Honestly, for you, I don't know how you are ever going to keep them under control. She's all you ever think about, Jacob. You'll need to practice keeping the things you don't want the rest of us to know in the back of your mind. Don't think about them. If you feel like you are going to reveal something that you don't want us…or Bella to know, and then quickly reverse your thoughts to a different subject. Think of Bella more as a sister than a romantic interest."

"A _sister_? I don't think that is even possible for me to imagine it that way," I told him. "I can try, I guess. But then there is the problem of one of the guy's repeating what I said."

He was silent for a moment. "Then, maybe you should be up front with her. Tell her how you feel."

I frowned. This conversation was not turning out how I had expected it to be. "So I'll go up to her and be like 'Hey, Bella, I know you just turned into a mythical creature and all but I have to let you know that I've had a crush on you since the first day I saw you'. Yeah, that would go over wonderfully."

His eyes narrowed at me. "I think it's more than a crush, Jake. Everyone can see that."

"Whatever," I remarked, knowing that I couldn't deny my affection for her. "I'm gonna go hang out with Embry until Bella wakes up. Call me if you need me."

I wasn't going to waste any time at all. I rushed back into the cover of the woods and headed to find Embry. I didn't feel like phasing again so I jogged the normal path that I took until I found him. We accidently ran into each other, making Embry stumble back.

"Dude, watch where you're going," he angrily snapped.

I laughed. "Hey, you're the one who ran into me, not the other way around. Where are you running to anyways? Some hot date?"

"Shut up," he replied. "There's a bonfire on Friday by the way, you might want to bring your precious Bella to it. Everyone from school will be there. Could be interesting to see how she reacts when all the girls are over you." Embry flexed his muscles. "Or maybe she won't care and she'll fall in love with me instead. The ladies love me."

"You wish," I replied. "You don't even have a girlfriend or a specific girl you are interested in. Pathetic."

Embry used my statement to his advantage. "Girlfriend? Neither do you. Besides, I like to keep my options open. You lust after a girl that is _way_ out of league and _I'm_ the pathetic one? Yeah, right. We'll talk again when you get some ass."

I laughed out loud at that last part. "Okay, that won't be long." _Hopefully. _

This time he laughed. "I'm curious, Jake, do you know if Bella's a virgin? Maybe she got into bed with the bloodsucker." He was doing this on purpose now. I tried not to take any offense to it. "You might want to find that out."

"Why?" I asked. "She'll freak if I go up to her and randomly ask that. And I even need to know this why?" I had to admit, though, Embry had me curious. He had just planted an itching question into my mind. I _did_ want to know.

"I think it'll be kind of funny when she finds out that you still haven't gotten laid when she has," he snickered. Embry sure knew how to get under my skin.

"I can guarantee that she hasn't done anything yet," I shot back. She was Bella for crying out loud! _My Bella wouldn't do anything like that._

"And what if she isn't?"

My hands started to shake, but Embry didn't seem to notice. "She is," I growled back.

At that moment, Jared walked up behind Embry, scaring him half to death. "Jeez, Jared! Why the hell does everyone sneak up on me like that? Give me a freakin' heart attack one of these days."

"Someone's jumpy," Jared remarked. "What are we talking about?"

Embry laughed again. I swear, he can get so annoying sometimes. "Bella's virginity," he said, like it was a normal thing to talk about.

"You're sick," I commented.

"Oh," Jared answered, looking a bit uncomfortable. "That's kind of strange. In fact, that is really weird, she's like our sister now."

I snorted and point to Embry. "Don't look at me, he brought it up."

"What? Can't I just look out for my boys well being? Think about it. Maybe you should lose your virginity so you'll know what to do when Bella finally gives in. Put it in prospective, if she's already done the deed…you might want to also."

"You're disgusting," I told him. The idea of being with anyone but Bella was insane. I couldn't even think of a time when I imagined being with someone else other than her. "And if you ever say it again…I might have to break your jaw." I was half joking when I said that.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop," he finally said.

"Lame," Jared commented. I had forgotten he was even here. "Who the fuck says 'did the deed' anymore?"

"Think of it what you want, I couldn't care less. I'm going to check on Bella," I bitterly growled.

Embry devilishly smiled at me, causing Jared to start laughing hysterically. "I know what you're thinking! You are such a perv, Embry, you know that?

I ignored them and walked off.

"Bye, lover boy."

I ran the rest of the way home, quietly entering back into my house. There was no noise so I figured that Bella was still asleep. I turned the corners of my house until I came to my bedroom door. I opened it silently to see that Bella really was still sleeping. I noticed that she was oddly positioned. Her head and arms where hanging off the side of the bed while the rest of her body was turned facing upward, laying flat out vertically. I couldn't help but give a low laugh. How did she get that way? It looked extremely uncomfortable for her.

Since I didn't want all the blood to rush to her face, or at least that was the excuse I would give, I walked over and picked her up into my arms. I brought her back under the covers so that I was next to her. She unconsciously moved onto my chest so that her head rested against me. She extended her arms across my abs and then laid still. Having her hand about my bare chest was nerve-wracking; I held my breath until I was sure that she was still asleep. _She makes me crazy while she sleeps, too._

This was something I had always wanted—Bella and me like this. Hopefully, there would be more of this in the future, but for now, this was heaven for me.

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**Oh, boys will be boys. **

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	7. Ready For Anything That Comes My Way

**Merry Christmakwanzakah!!! Outside my door there is two and a half feet of snow and so you know, that is half my size. It was up to my hips in snow! But who cares about that. I'm not going to ramble on and on when you can be reading!**

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BPOV

At the moment, I was having one of those dreams where you know that you are dreaming but you can't wake up from it. You want to but you can't. And why is that? How come when you are having an incredible dream you always have to wake up and when you are having a nightmare it's impossible to open your eyes. It's like when you're running away from the monster and you can't see to run fast enough. Just as it's about to get you, you wake up and you're terrified.

In this particular case, I was reliving what happened with James. It was happening all over again. Everything was the exact same as it had been in real life. Every aspect was frightening.

I was dreading the pain I would feel when I woke up. I wondered how bad it would be, but I wanted out of this nightmare that I was having.

_James was about to sink his teeth into me…_

My leg jerked, taking me out of the nightmare. I sucked in a sharp breath and let my heart rate fall back to normal. My body relaxed and for the first time, I realized that I woke up on Jacob. My face was nuzzled into his neck while my arm was in an L shape and strewn up his chest. I took a few minutes to enjoy it. I hadn't woke up to someone like this since Edward. I closed my eyes shut and held my breath until the feelings the thought had stirred up were gone.

I promised myself that I would never speak about what happened with the Cullens or Edward to anyone. Maybe if I could get over it, heal the hole in my heart, and then maybe, just maybe I could talk about it. But now, I would keep it bottled up inside. It wasn't healthy but it was what I needed to do to move on.

I sat up and pulled the covers off. I looked back at Jacob, who was sleeping soundly. My brows furrowed. Had he gotten up and gone outside? He smelled like the woods to me. I smiled. So he thought that he could get up and I wouldn't know?

"You are so busted," I whispered to a sleeping Jacob.

My smile faded away as my eyes glided down his body. He had no shirt on, apparently that was common for him, and he was gorgeous. His six-pack was gleaming in the sunlight, making me want to reach out and touch his abs. I clasped my hands together so they wouldn't automatically do what my body was telling me to. _He is sixteen! _my mind screamed. _Sixteen!_

I tore myself out of a stare and quickly got up. With one hand on the door, I took another look at Jacob. I bit my lip. How was it possible for him to look so hot? Oh, that's right, he's a werewolf. Just like me.

_Like me._

I wasn't used to it yet. Waking up and realizing that you turned into a wolf practically two days ago was baffling. Adjusting to a new life was going to be difficult. Like Sam had told me at the cliff, I couldn't tell anyone about what I was, not even Charlie. Speaking of Charlie, he was probably worried about me. I hoped Billy had called him. Where was Billy anyways? I hadn't seen him at all, but it was most likely better that way. Things would more than likely get awkward.

I wandered about the house, finding that there was nothing to do until Jacob woke up. I turned back into Jacob's room. I was deciding on how to wake him up. Knowing that he was a deep sleeper, a plain shake of the arm was not going to wake him. I crouched down by his side. "Jake," I said in a loud voice. I repeated twice with no response. I tried so many things with no success. I finally gave up on being gentle. After all, he was a werewolf and would be able to take anything that came his way.

It was going to be an impossible task. I knew there would be only one way to wake him up, even if it was crazy. I backed up so I was in front of the door and facing Jacob. I closed my eyes and smiled. What I was a little crazy. When did I get so brave?

I took a breath, raced forward full speed, and jumped right on to Jacob. His eyes opened almost immediately, grabbing my thighs that landed around his sides. I put both my hands onto his stomach and lowered my head.

"Wake up, sunshine," I whispered.

His eyes went wide. "Jeez, Bella, you scared the crap out of me," he exhaled.

"Sorry. You wouldn't wake up."

Jacob didn't remove his hands. Instead, he smiled wickedly at me. "You know, it's not every day that I wake up with a girl on top of me like this."

I smirked back at him, getting off him so the awkwardness wouldn't consume me. "Oh, Please. It's not _any_ day."

"What a wakeup call that was," Jacob said, sitting up in bed. "Can you do that every day?"

I rolled my eyes and twirled out of his bedroom, waiting for him to come out as well. As expected, Jacob followed. He ran his hands through his hair and looked up at me with his dark eyes. I wondered what he saw in me.

"So," he stated. "You woke me up, why?"

I giggled. "I don't know"-I pointed to the kitchen clock-"Maybe because it's almost four in the afternoon. Besides, I'm full of energy and I want to do something."

"What do you want to do?" He sounded do bored when he said it.

I was hesitant to begin in the first place but I manage to muster up my courage. "Well," I continued. "I was thinking that maybe…you know…you could teach me how do phase and all."

Jacob was instantly thrilled, his eyes lighting up. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Sweet," he said. "You wanna go now or later?"

"Now. I might chicken out later."

Jacob smiled at me and he crossed the room to take my hand. Once our fingers where entwined, he led my through the house until we came to the front door. "And you're sure about this, right?"

"Yes, Jacob, I'm sure," I sighed. "I'm not going to change my mind."

This time, I dragged him out, opening up the door and towing him out. If I was going to do this, I better do it now while I had the courage. No doubt, I would over think it and try to get out of it. But, there was no way of escaping so I might as well embrace it.

Jacob came to my side, his hand still wrapped around mine. He was completely happy. I didn't understand it. Jacob was just a normally content boy, I guessed. He had a certain warmth to him that expanded out when you were in his presence. I felt like I could be myself around him, like me fit together some strange way. There was a connection between us that I had never had with anyone else before. It was nice to know that I could depend on him. I had someone who I could rely on. Jacob would do anything for me.

And of course I already knew that he had somewhat of a crush on me. He had ever since we were little. I wondered if he had a girlfriend or maybe he liked someone else now. I was curious.

"So," I began. "Do you have a girlfriend or something?" I had wanted it to sound casual but I didn't think it came out that way. I just blurted it out, which was stupid of me. I didn't want Jacob to get anything in his head.

He laughed. "Why do you ask? But, the answer to your question is no. There isn't much time for that since I'm running around as a wolf half the time. Plus, it's not like I could tell her what I really am. There wouldn't be any point to it."

I stayed silent. I wasn't sure why I was relieved to hear this. Maybe I wanted him all to myself since we were becoming so close. "No girl of interest?"

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, now I'm wondering why you are so curious."

"You didn't answer," I pointed out.

I knew he was going to beat around the bush because it looked like he was really thinking about what he was going to say next, trying to think of something that wouldn't be too revealing. "I'm a guy. There is _always_ a girl of interest."

The rest of the time we were silent. I trudged through the mess of muck that covered the ground. The worst thing of all was that I didn't have any shoes on. I hadn't realized it until I stepped into a huge puddle of dirty water. Water splashed halfway up my pants and I got covered in the dirty water that was dripping of the leaves. Last night there had been a quick shower from the broiling storm that now resided just off the coast. I was sure that there was going to be a big storm later on tonight. I could already see flashes of lighting in the clouds, but I didn't hear thunder yet.

"What about the storm?" I asked. "I don't want to get stuck in the middle of it."

Jacob looked up at the clouds that were about to block out the sun. "It won't hit until later on," he assured me. "It's going to be one wicked storm. We're going to get hammered."

I sighed to myself. I hated this weather so much. There were so many storms and rain and clouds. Who would ever _want _to live in this town? Who in the world says they want move to a town where it rains all the time and you will be lucky if there is one day of sunshine in a week?

I was extremely nervous. I was only minutes away from turning into a wolf, which was an intimidating thought. But I had Jacob with me and he knew what to do, he would help me.

"Okay, right here is good," Jacob decided when we came to a small clearing in the woods.

"Okay," I repeated in a shaky voice.

Jacob took my hand and squeezed it tightly. "It's okay to be nervous, Bells."

I didn't answer; I just stared past him at the ground. I took a deep breath and nodded to acknowledge that I heard him.

He pressed his palm to my cheek and whispered, "You'll be fine."

"I know," I replied honestly.

He didn't say anything for a few moments. "Um, the only thing is that if you're gonna want to take you clothes off."

He wanted me to get completely naked in front of him? What he crazy? Did he actually think that I would agree to that? This was so not what I had signed up for. Was this the way it was going to be? Each time I have to phase I have to take off my clothes? Hell no. No boy had ever seen me without clothes on before and I was not about to start a trend.

"What?" I almost shrieked, my voice shocked. "You want me to take my clothes off?"

He couldn't help but smile, dropping his hand. Jacob backed up so he could look at me. "If you don't then they'll shred into nothing. Then what are you going to do?"

My eyebrows must have been halfway up my forehead by now. This was not expected. I very clearly told him, "Jacob, I am not getting naked in front of you."

He rolled his eyes. "I won't look, I promise."

"Yes you will," I argued. "What boy wouldn't?"

My eyes narrowed in suspicion; Jacob was still smiling hugely at me. "Put it this way," he begun. "I will see you naked at one point so you should just get it over with now."

I shook my head. "Um, no, I don't think so."

He laughed. "I figured so."

"Are we going to do this or what?" I asked him, beginning to get annoyed.

"Definitely." Jacob paused for a second. "Do you want to watch me first?"

I nodded. "That'll be helpful."

Before I knew it, Jacob reached down and pulled on the waistband of his jeans. "Wait," I stopped him. "What are you doing?" What a stupid question that was, considering I already knew that answer to it.

Jacob dropped his hands. "You must be joking. Bells, really?"

"Well excuse me, but maybe you should give me a little warning before you strip. It might be nice to know what you are doing before there is a naked guy in front of me," I explained, the words coming out faster than I had intended them to. "It's not like guys go around dropping there pants around me, so please, a little warning."

He laughed out loud. "Done?"

"No," I huffed. "Would you like me to go on?"

Jacob cocked his head to the right. "Okay, then, here's the warning." With that, he bent over and slipped of his jeans.

I stood there in shock. Jacob held out his jeans for me to take, and I did. I couldn't help but look at his _manhood_. He was freaking huge! I tried so hard to peel my eyes away but they wouldn't let me. My brain hadn't yet realized that Jacob was staring at me, smiling. My eyes flickered up at him, my cheeks boiling. I probably looked like a tomato. My whole body seemed to be on fire. I moved my hand up my other arm and looked away from him. There was no way I could look him in the eye.

"You sure stare much, Bella," Jacob commented.

"Yeah, well, considering the fact--" I didn't let myself finish the sentence.

Jacob, still naked and only about a foot in front of me, said, "Considering what? Have you never seen a guy naked before?"

He was doing this on purpose, he was making me feel uncomfortable. "No, I have not!"

Jacob chuckled. "Well, you'll be seeing me naked a lot so you might as well look at me."

I slowly looked up again, not seeing another option. There was no way out. I forced myself to look at Jacob, not allowing my eyes to wander. I didn't know how he was so calm. Here I was, staring right at him and he was barely bothered by it. My face got hotter and hotter.

"You're gonna watch, right?"

I nodded.

"Alright," Jacob inhaled.

He backed up and I did as well. I watched as Jacob dove into the air. There was a loud ripping sound and that was it. Fur exploded out of Jacob as he transformed into a huge reddish-brown wolf. My jaw fell open in amazement. It looked so easy from this perspective.

Jacob walked over and nuzzled his face around my hand that had reached up to touch him. "My turn," I whispered.

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**Sorry if there are some mistakes. I didn't have much time to re-read since I wanted to get the chapter out today.**

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	8. So The Wolf Fell In Love With The Lamb

**I'm having a writer's block on my other story so don't freak out if you think that I've abandoned it because I haven't. I'll probably update in a little while but I just need to think of a good plot to roll with. For now, I'm sticking with this story. I've been getting a lot of message's saying that they hope I don't stop or abandon this story. There should be no worries. I am not a person who abandons a story, it just seems wrong to do so. So I hope that clears that up.**

**Thanks to my loyal reviewers.**

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JPOV

I phased back after Bella watched me. This time she turned around so she wouldn't have to see me naked again. Although, I didn't know how she expected to go unseen through this whole thing. In my mind, it would be better for her to let me see her now and save the embarrassment. Though, in my mind, I was the one stripping her down. Yeah, like that would ever happen.

Bella looked nervous but not as bad as she had before. Of course it was nerve-wracking. For goodness sakes she was a freaking werewolf! Who dreams of that? I mean, what girl wouldn't want to shred off her clothes, jump into the woods and turn into a wolf?

Not many, I guessed.

Bella was different. She was my type of girl, exactly. She had always been the one in the back of my mind. I couldn't get her out of my head; I ruled it impossible. I saw her when I closed my eyes, not like I would want that to change, but it wasn't normal crush, without a doubt I knew it. I looked over at her and smiled.

"What," she asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if we were going to do this before the storm ends up blowing you away," I said sarcastically. "You are so tiny that the wind might pick you right up."

She folded her arms in defense. "No, no, no, no, no," she started, her words very fast. "A _tornado_ might be able to pick me up, but this storm? No way. And besides, if you saw me going, I'm sure that you would come to my rescue. I don't think Charlie would be very happy if I was found mangled up in a tree somewhere."

I pictured it on my head and bursted into laughter. "No, that wouldn't be good."

Bella narrowed her eyes's at me. "Hey, don't make fun of my height; I don't make fun of yours. How tall are you? Like six foot five or something? That's like two feet taller than me," she pointed out. "I don't know anyone taller than you."

"Well, Sam and Paul are pretty close," I remarked.

"Okay, so two people in the entire world. I don't think that'll cut it," she shot back. Then she changed her tone. "And plus, guy's don't like a girl that is taller than them. Don't you like me small?"

I smiled and honestly said, "Yes."

Bella pointed her finger at me. "Well, then there you go."

"No height jokes, gotcha."

After a moment of silence, she spoke again. "Turn around," she ordered me.

"Why?"

"Do you think that I am going t undress in front of you? Turn around."

I did as she said and turned around so my back was facing her. It was hard not to think of the fact that Bella was undressing a few feet away from me. A few seconds later, thinking too much about it, I twisted my head over my shoulder. I knew that I shouldn't have but it was too tempting for me. I did it anyways, and I was glad that I did. Bella was also facing with her back turned to me and she was just dropping her shirt to the ground, her bare back now staring straight at me.

Her skin was so pale and inviting. I wanted so badly to walk up to her and run my fingers down her smooth skin. Tempting, very tempting. I resisted. There was nothing else I could do.

Bella's head snapped up and she slowly lifted her head over her shoulder, careful not to reveal anymore of her perfect skin. "Are you looking at me?"

"No," I quickly said and turned back around. Since she didn't say anything else, I only listened as she removed the rest of her clothes.

I wasn't sure what to do next. Should I phase? "Hey, Bella?"

"Yeah?" she replied, her voice quiet.

"Um, what should I do now? Do you want me to phase again?"

She hesitated before responded. "I guess so."

"Okay, I'll give you some time." With that, I walked straight ahead and moved out of the way of the branches. I tore off my jeans and phased. I didn't go far, but far enough to give her the privacy I knew she needed.

The wind began to pick up. Light grey clouds covered the sun and blocked out the light. I felt a few raindrops hit my fur. _Stupid storm, _I mentally thought, _can't you hold off a little longer?_ Of course this was happening. Just as Bella decides that she is ready to begin phasing a damn storm has to come along and ruin the moment. Either way, I decided, it was going to be something that was going to remember for a long time. I hoped Bella wouldn't change her mind and back out.

That instant, I felt her changing. It was an odd felling, overall. Sort of like a tingling feeling that went through my body. Everything in my body was replaced with excitement when I heard her for the first time.

_Jake?_

_I'm here, _I told her. _Stay where you are and I'll come to you._

I traveled back the usual path that I took and went to find her. When I did, I was amazed. She was beautiful, even now. She had gorgeous white fur that was hard to describe since it was so pretty. She was all white. Her brown eyes went perfectly with her fur. She was smaller than the rest of us which was no surprise to me.

_You think I look pretty._ It wasn't a question, only a fact.

_Looking into my mind, are we?_

Once again, she hesitated. _It's really strange. This whole thing is so…different for me. I'm not used to having paws._

I laughed. _Yeah, it's weird at first but you'll get used to it._

After a minute I realized that I couldn't see inside her head. It was like something was blocking her thoughts from me. I hadn't experienced anything like this before. She could see inside my head but I could see inside hers. Why was that?

_That's strange_, I remarked.

_What is?_ She questioned, unaware.

I thought for a moment. _It's like you're blocking me out. I can't see inside your head._

I saw the confusion in her eyes. Bella had no idea what I was talking about. _Is there something wrong with me?_

I shook my head. How could she ever think that? _No, nothing…try and show me something._

We waited a moment. Then, it was all there. I saw everything that Bella was thinking. Everything that hurt her, made her happy, made her cry. All the emotions that she had experienced. One thing stood out to me. Edward Cullen.

I was seeing it through Bella's eyes. How much she loved that bloodsucker. How she knew that he was a vampire and she still choose to be near him. Bella loved the damn bloodsucker. I was immediately disgusted but chose not to show too much of it. _You loved him? _I didn't want to believe it.

She was silent for a long time. _Yes._

_Why'd they leave?_

_Jake, please, I don't want to talk about it,_ she pleaded. I could feel the hurt.

_Then let me see it,_ I asked. _Come on, Bella, don't' be like that. You can't let me know that loved that filthy blood sucker and not tell me anything else. Do you still love him? _I hadn't realized how harsh my tone was. Maybe I was being noisy, but I wanted to know so bad. Before I could further the conversation, her thoughts where gone from my mind. I was left with only my own.

Guilt set in. I had pushed her too much. I wanted to apologize but I couldn't talk to her since I was a wolf and she had shut me out. I could've phased back into my human form but then I'd be naked in front of her. I didn't think that was a thing she wanted to repeat. This meant that I had to wait for her to phase back.

The rain picked up and the wind blew more fiercely. I needed Bella to let me back in so I could show her how to phase back. I decided that I would give her time, and I would go get my jeans. I figured Bella would understand that I would be right back. I raced back and got my jeans, phased, and put them on.

The rain was now pouring and it didn't take long for me to get soaked. Whatever, I'd dry off in no time.

I was worried about Bella. How hurt was she? I had only seen glimpses of her thoughts, which didn't give me much to work with. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to think of a good way to apologize to Bella.

When I got back, I was shocked to see that Bella had already phased back. All her clothes were back on and she was sitting on the ground with her legs crossed and her head in her hands so that I couldn't see her face. Maybe I didn't want to see how bad my comment had hurt her. But, I manned up and went over to her. I bent down next to her, moving her wet hair away.

"Bella," I whispered. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it."

She stayed quiet. I shifted my hand under her cheekbone, brushing it. I then put my hand under her chin and lifted her head up. Her beautiful eyes were watery and red. "I know," she whispered back to me. "I'm just not ready to talk about it. It hurts too much."

I grabbed her, bringing her into a hug. She obliged. "I won't bring it up again," I promised.

She nodded. "When I'm ready to talk, you'll be the first one to know."

My hand brushed across her cheek on more time. I wanted to kiss her so badly right now. I knew better. She wasn't ready for anything but a friendship. That was what I had to give her because I was what she needed.

"Let's get out of here. You can meet Emily, hang with her for a bit," I offered. "I think you'll like her. And besides, I think it might be good for you to get some girl time in before you're spending all your time with us."

"Alright," she agreed. "But I'm all wet. I don't want to meet her when I'm soaking."

I snorted. "Believe me, she is used to us walking in dripping wet."

"And we are supposed to get there how? I don't want to phase again…can I please change?"

I gave in. "Alright, alright, let's go. I'll get you some dry clothes."

Despite the pouring rain, we walked back to my house. When we got inside, I rushed to my sister's room and got Bella some dry clothes. The teenage boy in me choose a low cut top and tight jeans. She would look incredibly hot in these. I found her in my room. I was glad that she didn't see anything by it when I gave her the clothes. She took them gracefully. Before I left, I grabbed a pair of jeans from my closet. But, when I turned around I saw that Bella was already changing.

I was stuck. I had no idea what to do. I was sure that Bella wouldn't want me to watch her undress, but why would she start when I was still in the room? Then there was the problem of if I left would she think that I did want her? I was in a bad situation.

My feet where glued to the floor as I watched Bella peel off the wet shirt and drop it to the floor. Did she even know I was still here? My question was answered when Bella spoke up.

"Can you put my stuff in the dryer?" she asked me. "I don't want to walk around in a soaked bra, you know?"

I nodded, which was stupid because her back was turned to me. "Uh, sure, just give the stuff to me when you're done." I bolted out of that room like lightning, afraid to stay in a second more. It wasn't a good idea to get a hard one while watching Bella. Plus, I probably would have reached a creepy level if I stayed.

"Jake!" Bella called.

"Coming!" I yelled back. I needed to get my thought together before I looked at her again.

I opened the door to my room and Bella handed me her wet clothes. I noticed that a matching pair of black lace bra and panties where rolled up in it so I automatically looked up at her. Nope, she had no bra on. The plan had backfired. Her shirt was in fact, very low and pressed up against her. Did she realize how sexy she was? And, most importantly, did she see how nervous I had just gotten? I hoped not.

"Can I wait to meet Emily tomorrow when the storm passes? I don't think it's very safe to go out there when the storm is so violent. I don't think I'll even be able to drive home until it's over. Can I stay over?"

I froze. "Sure," I hesitantly said. I raised the wet clothes. "I'm going put this in the dryer. I'll be back in a sec."

"Okay, I'm going to call Charlie to let him know. I don't want him to worry about where I am." Before I walked down the hallway I saw Bella pick up the phone and dial. I knew Billy was over there and Charlie would tell him that Bella was here. There would be no sight of him tonight. It was like her was expecting something to happen between us. Great, now he'd probably mention it to Charlie. I was going to get a sex talk very soon.

_Shit!_ I cursed to myself. _Now you are alone with Bella for the entire night and she looks freaking hot as hell. Now the only thing you'll be able to think about is how many places you can fuck her. Great idea, Jacob! You're a genius!_

I threw the clothes in the dryer. After I turned it on, I paused and rested my head on the machine. I was in deep shit. How was I supposed to get through the night? How was I supposed to even look at Bella and not want to strip her down and make love to her? It would be impossible.

"You need to play cool, Jake. Don't make her think that something is wrong," I told myself in a low voice so there was no chance Bella could hear. "Get it together."

In no rush, I trudged back into the living room where Bella was curled up on the couch. I nervously sat down next to her and grabbed the controller. I turned on the TV, hardly caring what came on A cooking show came on, though. Bella's favorite. She rested her head onto my chest, settling in. I almost lost it right there.

I must have fallen asleep because I woke up and it was pitch dark out. I was laying down and Bella was on her side, pressed up against me. This was not good at all. I quickly got up, careful not to disturb Bella. I headed for the bathroom to take a shower. I turned the water on hot and stepped in.

When the hot water wasn't working for me, I turned it to cold. Either way, it wouldn't matter since my body temperature was already hot. I didn't even feel the cold. I was warm no matter what. I was even warmer when I thought of Bella. It was hard to get her out of my head, but I should probably be used to it by now. She practically had her own room in my brain. It was a bad idea to picture her naked at this particular moment. Would it be wrong to jerk off with her in the next room? I was pretty sure that it would be.

"Jake," I heard Bella whisper, waking up.

I shut off the water and wrapped a towel around myself to dry off. After I put my jeans on, I opened the door. "Yeah, I'm here."

Bella lifted her arms above her head and stretched out. "What time is it? I still feel tired."

I looked over at the clock. "That's because it's two in the morning." I got to Bella's side, sitting on the floor. I laid my head next to hers on the couch. "Do you want to stay here or do you want me to put you in my bed? You'll be more comfortable."

Bella nestled in. "I'm fine here. I don't really feel like moving."

"I'll carry you," I offered, it being my original intent.

She slightly shook her head. "No, that's okay," Bella sighed. "I won't be able to get back to sleep, anyways. I want to listen to the rain." Bella motioned for me to lay with her.

I moved up and onto the couch next to Bella. My arms wrapped around her, holding her tight. We listened to the storm outside for awhile. Hours passed and we said nothing, we didn't need to. It was nice, nice to have her here like this. Bella had shut her eyes and had nuzzled into my neck. I realized something for the first time.

I was falling in love with Bella Swan.

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	9. Normal Is Not In My Vocabulary

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I woke up in Jacob's arm, which was no surprise to me since I fell asleep in them. It was nice to wake up to Jacob. He was still sound asleep, his face peaceful. I wasn't going to disturb him. And, I woke up and didn't feel any pain, thankfully. I felt normal. I laughed quietly to myself thinking, _Yeah, I don't think normal can even be in your vocabulary anymore, Bella. _My guess was that my body had already adjusted to the whole werewolf thing.

I glanced over at the nearby clock—it read six o'clock. I suddenly shot up off the couch. "Crap," I muttered. Today was Monday, which meant it was a school day. Missing another day of school was not on the agenda. I figured that if I hurried then I could make it on time.

My sudden leap of the couch woke Jacob. "Where are you going?" he asked.

I ran into the laundry room to get my dried clothes. I pulled them over my head, making a mad dash for the front door. "There is a thing called _school_ that I have to not be late for. Aren't you going?"

"If I have to," he muttered.

I flung the door open, realizing that I didn't even have my keys with me at the moment. "Jake! Where are my keys?"

Jacob grabbed my keys off the floor and threw them to me. I actually caught them in mid air. "Drive safe and watch out for the rain!" he yelled to me as I stepped out the door and into the drizzling rain. At least it wasn't pouring anymore.

I was halfway down the highway when I started to panic. Would anyone see a difference in me? Would it be obvious that something happened to me? I figured that if I dressed like myself and stayed quiet throughout the day, I might not attract any attention. If I was lucky.

In fact, I wasn't lucky at all. I got to school and everyone turned to look at me. I walked as fast as possible to my classes. The hallways seemed like the most dangerous place to be so I grabbed all my books and bbinders, walking down the hallways that I knew would not be crowded with suspicious eyes. Even in class I felt like there were eyes on me; the teachers would stop and look, causing everyone else to look at me secretively out of the corner of their eye. Since I had skipped out on lunch, no one said anything to me until third block. Jessica was my lab partner for the day and I was not prepared for her ramblings.

"What did you do, Bella? Like you look…different somehow. In a good way, not bad. I mean of course Lauren had so say some nasty comment today at lunch but that's just her. Not that I agree with her but I'm just saying, you know? I think she might be a little jealous that you look so hot and you're grabbing everyone's attention," Jessica told me all in one breath. It was amazing how this girl could talk for so long.

I spoke quietly so no one would hear. Our teacher was still in the middle of a passionate speech about some type of frog. "Is that really what people think?"

"Um, yeah!" Jessica expressed. "I mean we were all expecting you to go into a zombie state or something when Edward left and all, but you didn't. You come back all single and up for grabs. _Every _person in this school is talking about you. By the way, I love you boots. Where did you get them?"

I ignored her. "Seriously?"

"Definitely. I heard a rumor that half the football team is going to ask you out. They all have bets going to see who you say yes to," she giggled. "Lauren will be pissed when she hears."

Our teacher stopped mid sentence to yell at Jessica. "Miss Stanley, is there some sort of emergency that requires you to talk through this lesson, or are you not capable of keeping silent for more than a minute?"

"This class is lame," Jessica commented. I assumed she only wanted me to hear but several others in the class giggled. She then spoke up, "Sorry, I was just telling Bella something."

"Would you like to share to the class?"

I rolled my eyes. "It would be more interesting than this class," I muttered under my breath. The girl next to me heard and smiled, holding back a laugh. Jessica turned to me and nodded.

We continued with the boring lesson until we broke off and Jessica continued to talk and talk and talk. I could swear the girl never stopped. The day went by even slower after that. But, when the bell rang, I knew that I was free from it all. I had a ton of homework that was due tomorrow so I decided to go home and show Charlie that I was still alive; he needed some reassurance. I would have to call Jacob first and let him know what was going on. I had rushed out of there so quick this morning that I didn't get a chance to say anything.

When I got home, my school bag rolled off my shoulder and hit the floor with a _thud_. I walked over to the phone when Charlie popped out from around the corner, scaring us both. "Jeez!" I shrieked, putting my hand to my chest. "You scared me half to death!"

He stared at me with astonishment, his features not changing. "Didn't mean to." He closely examined me. Charlie must have noticed that something was up because he said, "Did you do something to your hair? You look different."

"You're not the first person to tell me that today," I said, walking pass him to grab the phone. "Are you working nights still?"

"Yeah," Charlie said. "I'm about to head out. Will you be okay here alone?"

I wasn't going to give him any reason to stay. "No, I'll be fine. I'm going to call Jacob anyways. I was hoping that he was going to come over," I answered, already formulating a plan in my head.

He still stared at me like he was expecting me to crumble to the ground and cry. "Bella, are you okay about—"

I knew what he was going to say and I wasn't going to let him finish. "About Edward and the Cullens leaving? I'm fine, dad, really. But, I don't want to talk about right now."

He gave me a strange look. He was worried about me, what father wouldn't? Once he left, I grabbed the phone and dialed Jacob's number. I was in desperate need of his warmth. Knowing that Jacob always found a way to make things better, I was going to convince him to come over as soon as possible.

After four rings, he answered. "Hello?"

"Hey," I replied to his warm voice. "So I have a ton of homework and I was wondering if you wanted to come over and bring your stuff, assuming that you did go to school today. You did go, right?"

"Yes, I did. I wish that I didn't, though."

"Why?" I asked.

"I'll explain later."

I smiled. "So you're coming?"

"As long as we can get something to eat. I'm starved."

"That's a deal," I agreed. "Ordering the pizza as soon as I hang up. I'll see you in a few." I hung up the phone and then dialed the local pizza place, ordering two large pizzas. I had a feeling that Jacob was going to be eating a lot.

At the moment, I wasn't in a very good mood from the mention of the Cullens. It was impossible to deny that I was still in love with Edward. I hoped that I would be able to get over it. For now, I was fine with ignoring it and keeping it bottled up. I didn't think my love for Edward would ever change. That's what hurt the most. He left me here, heartbroken, and rejected to love him forever. That was why I was awaiting Jacob's presence. He made me feel better. I didn't know what it was about him that healed the hole in my chest but he _was_ healing me. I rarely thought about _them_. And when I was with Jacob, I didn't think about them at all. An astonishing miracle that I would look into further at another time.

Jacob was my friend, my best friend. Nothing would ever change that.

Jacob got here twenty minutes later. I found out that the reason he took so long was because he had stopped and picked up the pizza. "How did you know where I ordered it from?"

Jacob smiled. "I took a guess," he passed it off as.

"Well I'm going to take a guess myself and say that you already had some of the pizza."

He looked up at me, still smiling. "I only had one slice," he admitted.

A few minutes later we were spread out on the living room floor with our books and notebooks in front of us. Not much work was getting done. I had gotten out cans of different kinds of soda and put them on the table to choose from. We were eating the pizza; actually Jacob was eating the pizza. I had had two slices and that was it. Jacob, however, had eaten the entire pizza in what I would say to be a record. His eating habits were amazing. I couldn't imagine eating an entire pizza. There was no doubt that Jacob would be shoving something else down as the night went on.

Jacob had made me feel better. I was laughing along with him and it felt so good. It was like all the weight went away from me. I was grateful for Jacob.

Hours passed by. It was now pitch dark out. Jacob and I finished the homework that had to be done. Jacob leaving was not an option for me so I asked, "Do you want to watch a movie? I'll make it a horror." I was not ready for a sappy romance. Hopefully, it wouldn't be a vampire movie.

"Sure," he agreed.

Flipping through the channels, I choose a movie that I had never heard of before, nor did I know what it was about. The description said that it was horror so I decided to go with it. It was a mistake. The movie had me half hiding into Jacob's shoulder. All the lights in the house were turned off, making the TV the only light. It was scary. I jumped each time there was a killing, when the music got loud. It was very bloody and disgusting. The killings were the worst part. Very gory and bloody. I hid my eyes from the screen.

Jacob noticed my discomfort and put his arm around me, bringing me closer to him. My eyebrows drew closer together. This was more than a friendly act. It was more of what a boyfriend would do to a girlfriend. Of course I knew that Jacob looked at me differently than I did to him. it would be wrong to shake him off but I didn't want him to get the wrong idea.

I stayed put, against everything.

When the movie was over, I quickly got up to remove the food. "You okay?" Jacob asked.

I suddenly got annoyed. "I'm fine," I snapped. I noticed my tone and changed it to a softer one. "So what happened at school today? You something went on."

"Oh," Jacob began his voice not to happy. "I'll give you the short version of it all. It started out with Paul, who was talking to a girl who was not single. Her boyfriend came along and they got into a fight. Embry got into it so Jared and me had to pull them all away. We all got sent to the principal's office, Paul was suspended for fighting, and Embry and I almost were too."

"Oh, no, that's terrible."

Jacob shrugged. "Paul doesn't care, but Sam was pretty pissed at him. Pretty pissed at all of us."

We didn't say anything more. I continued to put my books away and clean up the mess, in which Jacob helped to. He seemed distracted by something. Jacob was concentrating hard on something, but I wasn't one to question.

"Hey, Bella?"

"Hmmm?" I answered.

"There's a bonfire at the beach on Friday, you wanna come?"

I smiled at the thought. "I'd love to!"

Jacob's brows furrowed. He looked as if he was worried about something. "Look, Bella, I'm going to warn you now. Paul is going to probably—scratch that—he _is_ going do everything possible to annoy me. That sort of revolves around you. He knows it'll bug me."

It was getting to that awkward part. "Thanks for the heads up," I whispered.

Jacob crossed the room and placed the palms of his hands on the counter so that I had no escape. Clearly, he wanted me to listen. "I'm serious, Bells…he knows how I feel about you."

_Oh, no._

"Jake," I protested, uncomfortable. I looked away, trying to move away but Jacob grabbed my sides and made me look at him.

"Please, Bella. I'm just looking out for you." He was sincere.

"I know." I fell into his arms and into a hug. "I'm kind of tired and tomorrow is going to be a long day. I really have to focus on my studies and all. It is my senior year and I need to get good grades, so I probably won't see you until Friday, okay?" It wasn't a total lie.

He paused for a moment. "Sure, that's cool." There was no hint of rejection on his face so I decided that I shouldn't feel guilty for anything.

"I'll see you Friday," I whispered.

He nodded and didn't say anything more. After he left, I went upstairs and took a long, hot shower. I thought about what he had told me. Had Jacob hinted about his feelings for me?

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	10. Know Who To Blame

**Jacob Black officially has a birthday! Stephenie Meyer confirmed that it's January 14th 1990! Finally. Now we don't have to wonder when it is exactly.**

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JPOV

Was I fucking stupid? I told Bella how I felt about her, indirectly that is, and I shouldn't have. The bloodsucker didn't leave to long ago. It angered me to think about it but it was the truth. I didn't want to force her into anything to soon. But if there was one thing that I did know, It was that my life was hell without Bella. I was used to her being with me, and seeing her once a day. But, she said she needed to focus on her studies. I couldn't blame her for that since it was her senior year.

_She's a senior, you're a sophomore, remember? _

I really wished I was two years older. Even though I didn't look sixteen, I still was.

Did I even have a chance?

For once, I got to school on time. Since I had fifteen minutes before the bell rang, I decided to find Embry. Luckily, Quil was sick with the flu, or so what is mother thought, and I didn't have to worry about running into him in the halls. We all thought it might be something different that Quil had. I felt bad for him. He had the same fate as the rest of us.

I caught up with Embry next to his locker. He was talking to two girls, one that had short straight hair and that other that had wavy hair that came down to her waist. That was also tinted a reddish color. I hardly noticed them when I walked up.

"Dude," I greeted him. "We're gonna be late for class."

He gave me an annoyed look and turned back into Mr. Charmer. "Well, ladies, this is Jake." He glanced up at me. "Jake, this is Samantha"—he pointed to the long haired girl, then the short brown haired girl—"and this is Lynn. She's wanted to meet you, so I said that I would introduce you two."

_Yeah, that's great,_ I wanted to say, _have fun with them._ "Oh, hey," I responded.

Lynn giggled and turned to her friend. Embry stepped in saying, "I invited them to the beach tonight."

I finally understood what he was saying. "That's great." Clearly, he was trying to set me up. One for him, and one for me.

Too bad I just didn't care.

Embry gave Samantha a kiss on the cheek and he grabbed my arm, dragging me in the classroom. "Dude, don't fuck this up for me," he growled.

"What the hell are you talking about? I am not going to be her date to this thing."

"Oh, that's right, you have Bella. Get real, bro. She's not gonna hook up with you any time soon so how about you enjoy the fact that Lynn has a huge crush on you and wants to hang out with you. Maybe Bella will get jealous, you never know. Seriously, dude, you need some action."

"Shut up," I shot back. "I'm not going to make out with some random girl just because you tell me to."

Embry took a breath. "Then, will you at least pay attention to her? I'll take care of Bella."

I took it into consideration. "Don't let Paul go near her," I sighed, agreeing. "He thinks he's hot shit and I don't want him near Bella. You know how he is."

"Yeah, I do."

"Fine, I'll do it."

"Cool," Embry said, sliding back in his seat. If things went bad, I knew who to blame. "How is our girl anyways?"

"Great," I replied. "No need to worry."

The rest of the day went faster than I would have expected it too. I quickly rushed out of school so I wouldn't have to deal with Embry and his flirting with every girl that he saw. I decided to go back to my garage and work of the Rabbit. It had been awhile since I had done anything for my car. I was beginning to feel guilty for it.

I pulled up the hood when I heard Bella's voice. "I thought I would find you in here."

I immediately smiled at the sweet sound. I walked around my car to see Bella in a gorgeous dark purple top and a pair of dark wash jeans. She had her white coat over it all. "Whoa, you look nice." _Nice? A little more like stunning, idiot. Why didn't you say that?_

"Do you think it's so dressy for the beach?"

"No, not at all."

"Okay, good. My mom sent it to me and she's been begging me to wear it. I can finally say that I successfully pulled an outfit together. I felt bad for never wearing the coat," she admitted. "I kind of like it now."

I laughed. "Matched your fur color," I reminded her.

"Maybe that's why I like it." Bella came over to wear I was standing, looking at the car. She looked back up at me. "Well, don't stop just because I'm here."

"You sure?"

"Definitely. I want to watch. Maybe you teach me how to fix a car. I'm sure I could use some tips," she smiled. "You never know, maybe I'll be able to take a car apart and then put it back together."

I chuckled. "Okay, I'd love to see that."

"Like I said, you never know."

I started pulling out things from the toolbox. "Speaking of cars, are you ever going to get a new one? I'm sure you must be tired of that stupid truck by now," I assumed.

"No way!" she shouted. "I love my truck."

I rolled my eyes. "That's because it's the only car you've ever driven."

Bella laughed. It was so sweet that it was contagious. "Well, excuse me if I don't exactly have twenty thousand dollars to get a new car. Plus all the insurance. I have college to save for and I do need to buy other important things."

"Like?"

"Like clothes. I'm not going to walk around naked."

"Not yet," I joked, raising my eyebrows at her. Bella's hand flashed out and smacked me on the shoulder. It was a surprising hard hit, coming from Bella. It actually hurt. "Ouch, that'll leave a bruise." When did she get so strong? It was like a brick had been thrown at me.

She rubbed the spot that she hit. "Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean it to be that hard."

"It's okay, you're not used to your strength yet." _Could she get any stronger?_

Bella broke into laughter. I couldn't help but smile back. She was laughing so hard that there were tears in her eyes. "You should have seen Charlie the other day," she giggled. "I accidently broke a plate with my hands and he stared at me with a horrified expression. I couldn't think of an excuse!"

"I wish I would have seen that," I admitted.

"He looked like I had just told him that I was pregnant with Mike Newton's baby and was running off to Mexico to get married," she explained, laughing again. "It was hilarious. I think I said something like there was already a crack in the plate…its weird not being able to tell anyone about me."

There was a sullen mood to the atmosphere. "I know how you feel."

"That's why I love talking to you. You understand it. It's just that I walk around with this big secret weighing down on me. I hardly talk to my friends anymore, Jake." She paused for a minute then added, "It's all changing now."

I nodded, not knowing what I should say to comfort her.

Bella started to sob. "I can't talk to anyone! This is so difficult, Jacob." She felt against my chest, her hands hiding her face. "All I have is you…I'm not saying that's bad but I want to be able to open up to other people. Why does everything have to get ruined? I'm starting to think that's it's me. Maybe I'm a screw up that can't handle her own life." Bella shot up like a bullet and headed over to the wall. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to do this."

I got up, too, heading over to her. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her. "It's good to let it out," I told her. "Don't be sorry."

"Thank you for helping me," she whispered.

I wanted to kiss her so bad right now. I wanted to make all the pain and hurt go away. I could do that, if she let me. But, it was still too soon for that. So I decided to stick with the hug.

"Jake!" Bella gasped. "Trying—to—breathe!"

I let go of her. "Sorry.

"It's okay. At least we know that you are still way stronger than me."

The rest of the time we were silent. Hours passed by. Bella quietly watched me work, which was making me a little nervous. I felt her big brown gazing eyes on me. I liked it, something I could get used to.

I started to feel bad about what I had promised Embry. It wasn't a very good thought out plan. How was he going to look after her when he off with Samantha? All in all, I thought it was a little weird with them to. It was her name that got me. Embry's thoughts for _Samantha_ could very easily be mistaken for _Sam_. I hoped he would continue to call her by her full name.

Still, I had a problem. I told him that I would hang out with Lynn when Bella was here. I was sure that I could hang out with both without giving to much attention to either. No hurt feelings. Enter another problem. Lynn was going to want alone time, I knew that for a fact. She has had a crush on me for a year is what I had been informed of by Embry earlier today. Great, this was perfect, just perfect. I was freaking screwed.

_Maybe I should tell her so she isn't surprised._

"Bella," I stared, not taking my eyes off the engine.

"Yeah?"

I froze. Shit, I didn't know what to say. "There's this girl from school coming to the bonfire, Lynn. She sort of has a crush on me," I informed her, feeling stupid. "It was Embry's idea. He asked me to hang with her." As I waited for her response, I didn't turn around to look at her.

"Oh," she said gently. "I'm sure I'll like her."

She said it just like that. Like there was nothing wrong with the fact that I was being forced to hang out with this girl. Technically, I could have said no, but Embry was one of my best friends. We were always there when we needed each other.

Did Bella think I _wanted_ to spend time with this girl?

I thought maybe I should clear it up, but then, I stopped when I was about to speak. Maybe it _would_ be interesting to see how Bella took me being with another girl. Even though no one could ever live up to Bella's status in my head, it might be nice to act like a teenage boy for a little while rather than a werewolf.

His was when I took a glance over at Bella. She was sitting up against the wall, playing with the trim of her shirt. She looked so hot, and so amazing. Why was she doing this to me?

"Shouldn't we be leaving soon?" Bella asked. "It's already dark out."

"Yeah, we probably should." I got up and held out my hand for her to help herself up. She took it, and surprisingly, didn't let go. "Let's get this over with."

"Oh, no, it'll be fun!"

We walked down to the beach to see that most everyone was still there. They were all familiar faces to me, but for Bella, I doubted she knew past six other people. Embry was there with Samantha and with Lynn by her side. When she saw me see smiled. When she saw Bella, that was a different story. She straightened out her posture and nudged her friend. Bella noticed.

"Is that her?"

"Yeah," I told her reluctantly.

"Thought she would be prettier." Bella immediately covered her mouth after the words came out; amazed she had actually said it. "I didn't mean to say that out loud. I don't even know where that came from."

I didn't say anything back, mostly because we were now in front of the fire. Lynn got up and latched herself onto my arm. "I missed you! What took you so long?"

I felt Bella let go of her grip. I turned to see her sit down. "Sorry we took so long; Jake was showing me a few things."

Neither girl looked at each other. "Come on! I want you to come with me!" Lynn shouted, tugging me by the shirt in the direction she wanted me to go. I quickly glanced at Bella. She was staring at the fire and now about to greet Kim, Jared's imprint.

Shit, you didn't tell her about the whole imprinting thing yet, I thought. There was time for that later.

"Hi," I heard Kim say in her small voice. Bella looked up and smiled. "I'm Kim. I'm Jared's girlfriend."

"Oh! Hello," Bella responded.

Before I could even say anything, Lynn grabbed my arm and yanked me in a different direction. I didn't know what the problem was with saying there. We were now walking down the beach.

"So," she began. "Who's that girl?"

_If you had given me a minute I would have introduce you._ "That's Bella," I responded. "We've known each other since we were little. She moved here from Arizona not that long ago."

"Oh. Well Embry said that you hang out with her a lot. How old is she?"

What was with all these questions? Did she expect me to think about Bella and not want to go be with her? "She's been eighteen since September."

Lynn looked shocked. "Oh." She waited a minute until she said what was next on her mind. "Well I'm having my sweet sixteen in two weeks and I was wondering if you wanted to come. Most everyone in the school is invited but I thought I would invite you personally."

I looked over at Lynn and realize that she felt threatened by Bella. This girl has had the hugest crush on me for two years, and now she saw that was jealous. I smiled in delight. For the first time tonight I thought that this could work to my advantage. I liked Lynn as a friend but nothing more. Of course she was pretty with a clear face and her short hair but I wasn't into her like that. But, that was something Bella didn't know.

Would she get jealous?

"Well, maybe I can. Give me your number and I'll call you." Lynn whipped out a pen and took the palm of my hand, writing the number down.

She smiled excitedly. "Let's go back! I want to go see what Samantha and Embry are up to."

Agreeably, I walked back. A plan was already forming in my head. I would be with Lynn tonight at the bonfire. What was wrong with that anyways? I was a boy and I wanted to spend sometime time with a girl who actually had a crush on me.

When we got back to the fire I saw that everything was okay. There was no sight of Paul. Bella was talking with Kim and looked like she was having a good time. Lynn brought me over to the fire and we sat down adjacent to Bella and Kim. Jared came over and sat next to her, commenting, "Hey, I want to be in the middle of these to cuties!" Kim giggled, moving over so he could sit in between.

Bella glanced up at me, her eyes narrowing. Oh, she definitely saw what was going on.

I would have been happy but at the same time, I saw Paul making his way over. This would be a long night.

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	11. Up Close And Personal

**I don't have much to say but I hate not leaving an author's note. So that is going to be it for today. *smiles***

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BPOV

Kim was a really nice girl. She was quiet and sweet with long black hair and a plain face. I knew we were going to be really good friends. Jared had left so it was still Kim and me sitting next to each other. I felt do left out because most everyone had a date with them and I didn't. Even Jacob had left me…seemed like that's what the guys in my life liked to do to me.

What was he doing sitting over there with that girl? What was her name? Lynn? I thought it might be but I wasn't entirely sure. I didn't really give a hoot as to what it was. She didn't matter to me.

Kim scooted closer to me. "This is fun," she whispered. "A new girl! At first it was only me and Emily but now you make a wonderful addition. I still can't believe that you're a werewolf, though. Crazy."

"Me either," I agreed. "It's all new to me."

She smiled sweetly. "When Jared told me, I was shocked. I was so excited to meet you. This whole day I was worrying about what you would think about me."

She shook her head in protest. "No way. You have to understand that you are part of pack now. They all care about you. I you don't like someone or something, they won't either. They've got your back…and so do I. We all do."

I felt really good now. "Well, then I guess it's a good thing that I like you," I giggled.

"Oh," Kim perked up like she remembered something. "You should come over Emily's on Sunday. We're having a sleepover since I have off from school on Monday. I'm sure you do to so it works out perfectly. It'll be so much fun if you come to. I know Emily is dying to meet you. First we're going out shopping for a few things. There's a new bridal shop that opened in Port Angeles and Emily wants to go."

"Sure, I'd love to," I rushed the words.

Our conversation was interrupted by the laughter coming from Lynn, or whatever her name was. She had never introduced herself to me. How rude was she? She ignored me and went right to Jacob and pulled him away. Kim leaned in and whispered, "She's got nothing on you."

I was taken back. What did she think was going on between me and Jacob? "What?"

I heard Jared call Kim and she got up to go meet him. "We'll talk later."

After she was gone, it was me alone with Jacob and Lynn. I stared at the fire until Embry appeared with a girl that I didn't know. My anger quickly grew. Why the hell was I by myself? Jacob left me to hang out with another girl. Who does that? Did I not come here with him? Even if we were just friends, you don't do that. I sat there being mad.

"Sup, brothers!" I heard a voice call form the near distance. I knew it belonged to Paul. "What is up?"

Paul made eye contact with me, looked at everyone else, and sat down very close. "Hey, Bella. I haven't seen you in awhile. What's been going on with you?"

"Oh, well, a lot lately. Considering I just t—" I stopped dead in my tracks. Lynn didn't know about the werewolves. I almost laughed about that. I realized that Jacob could never be with that rude girl because of that _small_ detail. "Well, you know."

"Yes I do." Paul casually put his arm around my shoulder, pulling against him. "I'm glad you're one of us."

"Thanks," I replied wearily. Was he being nice or annoying Jacob? I decided that either way it was nice. At least I wasn't alone at what seemed to be a couple's bonfire. Even if it was Paul. But, who was I to judge? Maybe he was a nice guy deep down.

I let him keep his arm around me for a couple reasons. One, I didn't feel left out anymore. Two, it's what Jacob was doing with Lynn. And three, I just wanted Jacob to feel stupid. This is what he got for barely talking to me since we got here.

How dare he.

As the night progressed I didn't pay attention to Jacob and the weird girl he was with. I heard them talk but I wasn't hearing the words.

Lynn decided that she was going to talk to me. "So I didn't catch your name," she said to me, blinking twice and putting her hand on Jacob like she was staking her claim. He smiled at her. _What the hell is this?_

"Bella," I told her, not caring. We could so play this game, I could play this game.

"That's a pretty name," she said back, sneering at me.

"Most people think so."'

She turned to Jacob. "Don't you like my name?"

He nodded. "Of course I do." _Whatever, Jacob._ She snuggled closer to him.

This wasn't fair. I didn't care if he was only my best friend. Jacob was mine. He was the one that I felt safe with and he was the one I could talk to. This girl was not going to take that from me.

I felt Paul start to play with my hair. He took it out of the ponytail and placed my hair in front of me. "Keep your hair like that, I like it," he said smoothly. I didn't see him directly but I was sure that he exchanged a glance with Jacob. I turned my head onto Paul's shoulder. I wished that I could see Jacob's face. He was probably pissed, or should be.

"So, Bella," Lynn began. "Why are you always down in La Push?"

I was growing tired of her. "Why does it matter?" I muttered. "I'm here to see Jacob and the other guys. Do you have a problem with that?" A side of me that I had never knew I had was coming out. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.

"No," she claimed. "Don't you have your own friends to visit?"

"My other friends aren't hot guys," I explained.

Paul gave a low laugh. "Yeah, she's talking about me." He waited a minute to speak again, and when he did, he leaned in towards Lynn and spoke in a whisper that he knew I could hear. "Plus, we love it when she comes here…gives us some _good_ dreams at night. If you haven't noticed, Bella is freaking gorgeous to the core. Turns heads everywhere."

_Unlike you, Lynn. _

I didn't respond, I just closed my eyes to block out the talking. I didn't care anymore. I didn't want to be here. I wanted to g home. "Jake, can you take me home?" I asked.

"No way!" Lynn shouted. "He's mine tonight." With that, she planted a kiss on his cheek, very close to his lips.

He smiled back at her, not looking at me. "We just got here not that long ago. I think I'm going to stay, Bells."

"Do not call me that," I sneered through my teeth, annunciating each word.

Was I jealous?

No, I couldn't be. I only wanted to knock the bitch out…then take out Jacob.

I got up, shaking Paul off, and started to walk away before I blew my top. If Jacob wasn't going to take me, then I would walk home myself. But, that was not the plan that Paul had in mind. I heard him get up and follow.

I turned around to Jacob. "I'll see you later!" I shouted back at them. "Enjoy!"

I knew Jacob saw me walking away with Paul, and whatever he was feeling right now he deserved. I was pissed off. Paul followed me into the woods and to the road that I was going to walk home by. It was a long narrow road, trees alined, that took me all the way to Forks. I didn't care if it took me forever to get home. If I wanted to, I would phase and run, but that would mean ruining my clothes that Renee gave me. I decided to walk off my anger.

"My guess is you don't want to talk," Paul said from behind me. I hated how he always sounded so confident in himself. He didn't have anything to lose.

I whipped my body around and stopped. "No I don't."

"Okay, then, I won't mention what happened." He looked at me for a long moment. "Although, I have to say that what Jacob did was wrong. What a dick move that was."

"Don't suck up to me, Paul; it's not going to work. I know what you're up to," I said.

"And what's that?"

I rolled my eyes. Did he think I was clueless? "I know you're trying to annoy Jacob by trying to get with me."

He came up to my side. "Well, part of that is true. I do find annoying Jacob to be…fun. I know it sounds bad but we're brothers and that's what we do. But, I can't help the fact that you're so attractive." His voice deepened and he raised his eyebrows. "I like to be around you."

I laughed out loud. "No, you want to make Jacob jealous of you."

"True," he agreed. "Very true."

"Then why not take that Lynn girl away from him?"

He smirked. "Because he won't care about that. It's you that will get to him so don't be surprised when I—"

"Stop talking," I commanded. "I don't want to hear anything more."

He nodded. "Alright, I won't tell you my genius plan. I'm only saying that it's probably killing him not knowing what we're doing right now. For all he knows, I could be bringing you back to my place…"

"Shut up, that'll never happen."

"A guy can dream, right?" He leaned in closer to me. "You're just really, really hot Bella. Don't you know that?"

"Lots of people have been telling me that lately," I explained, starting to believe what he was saying.

We stayed silent for awhile. We were both so quiet that I was beginning to forget that Paul was even there. I was concentrating on the weird feeling that I was getting that someone was watching me, other than Paul, whose eyes seemed to linger on me a lot. It reminded me of the way Jacob checked me out when I first came to Forks.

"Why are you following me?" I asked Paul.

"I'm not _following _you, I'm walking you home."

I rolled my eyes up to the sky. "Yes, I know, but why? I can get home myself."

"I'm not going to let a beautiful girl like you walk home by herself. Too dangerous," he told me. "I want to make sure that you make it home safely."

That was not the only reason, I knew. But it was good enough for me now. We continued to walk until my house came into sight. I was never so happy to see it before in my life. I wanted to climb into bed and have this day over with. Hopefully, tomorrow would be a better day.

I stepped up onto the cement porch and turned back to Paul. "Thanks for walking me home, Paul," I said lazily.

"No problem. Anytime." It was pitch dark out there was only one dim light on in the house. In the dark, Paul looked a lot like Jacob. It was actually scary how much they looked alike. I couldn't bear to look anymore.

I turned around and put my hand on the doorknob. I hesitated. If I walked in, I would be alone. I was terrified of being alone, when it was quiet. Then, I would have to think and relive everything—what happened with Edward and what happened tonight. Was Paul's company really that bad? It was better than nothing. Or at least that was what I was hoping for.

"Do you want to come in?"

Paul smoothly smiled. "I was hoping you would ask."

He stepped up onto the porch as well, right next to me. He was so tall compared to me, all the Quileute boys were. I looked up at him. "Do you like that I'm so incredibly small? Do you mind?" It was meant as a joke.

"Height difference is a good thing. Do you mind that your brothers are freakishly tall?"

The word _brothers_ got to me. It made me feel like I was a part of something.

I was their sister.

"No," I responded. "As long as it's not used to an advantage."

He waited to answer. "I can't promise _that_ but I can promise that I will try really hard not to."

Once we enter the house I felt the need to give an explanation. "I'm not inviting you in because _I _am looking to make Jacob jealous or whatever. I don't care about that. I'm not like that."

"I know," he told me in a low voice. "But it's kind of fun either way, don't you think?"

I smiled. "Maybe a little."

It was fun to make Jacob jealous. The thought of him stressing over the fact that I was with Paul somewhere must be bugging the hell out of him. I didn't know why Jacob always disliked Paul so much. He seemed to be a pretty decent guy. Or maybe he was just being nice to _me_. At least I was getting something out of it.

As we entered the house, I turned more lights on so it wasn't so dark anymore. That was all I needed. To be alone with Paul in a room with no light. Yeah, that would go over great.

I carelessly made my way into the kitchen. I looked around. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Of course! You know the food at the bonfire is just not enough for me," he acknowledged. "I hear you're a pretty good chef yourself. What are you making today Chef Swan?"

"Hmmm, well what would you like?"

"Anything and everything."

I decided on making something out of the new recipe book that I got. I knew Paul would give me the truth about my cooking and not lie if it was bad. Although I had never cooked anything bad before in my life, there was still that slight uncertainty.

I went with a French dish that looked very good in the picture. Recreating it was going to be hard but I was up for the challenge. I cut a whole bunch of colorful vegetables and even Paul help out when he was afraid I would cut myself with the huge knife. Cooking wasn't dangerous to me at all, it was fun. It was something that I was good at and enjoyed doing. The people who ate my food seemed to enjoy it too.

Lots of time went by. It had to have been around nine but I wasn't going to look at the clock. I finished cooking a huge pot of pasta and dumped it into a large red and orange bowl that I had gotten in Arizona for my birthday. I mixed in a bunch of spices along with the peppers and other colored vegetables, added at dash of oil and I was done. I was happy with the result.

I went to cut up some more yellow peppers when Paul distracted me with a question. "So ever hear of imprinting, Bella?"

The word was not familiar. I was about to answer no, looking up to him, when I felt the sheer slice of the blade cut deep into my skin. The knife dropped to the ground and clicked against the floor as it fell. I looked down in horror. I cut the through the face of my hand. Blood came rushing out of the new wound. Paul was by my side in a second. He placed his hand over mine and rushed me to the sink, where he turned on the water and ran my hand under the cold water. It didn't feel like much to me. I barely felt anything except an uncomfortable feeling in my hand. There was no sharp pain of sting. Nothing.

I did not have much personal space. Paul was centimeters from touching my backside. He leaned over and examined my hand. I hadn't even looked at it yet but his comment made me. "Look at that," he breathed, sounding amazed. "Not a scratch. _I _don't even heal that fast. You must heal faster than us, Bella. Lucky you."

At that second, the front door swung open and four tall boys walked in. "Damn, we could smell that food from a mile away! Seriously, we could," announced Embry. "I already know I'm going to like it."

I quickly jumped away from Paul and crossed the kitchen to greet them. I saw Jacob was one of the first ones in and was staring past me at Paul. I didn't turn around to see what death stares they were throwing at each other. I didn't care. It was not my problem.

I quickly glanced down at my hand, flipping it over. Paul was right, there wasn't a scratch on me.

_Weird._

I was glad that I made enough dinner to feed them all. I got out more plates and served them all. The room grew with chatter and simple arguments. I grabbed another plate out of the cabinet and filled it with the pasta. I walked over to Jacob, expressionless, and handed to him. He only stared at me, taking what I offered. Jacob was never one to turn down food. But, he set it down on the counter and walked around to where the bloody knife was. He looked at it for a long moment and turned to me, wanting an explanation.

"Yeah, it's what you think. I tried to stab Paul in the neck." I threw up my hands. "I'm guilty."

"Be serious," he urged in a serious tone. "What happened?"

_If you had been with me then you would have known._ "Well, I accidently sliced my hand a few minutes ago." I held up my hand so he could see. "See? I'm all better. No damage done…Paul came to the rescue."

Jacob snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure he was more than willing to be up close and personal with you."

I was not going to feel guilty for being nasty to Jacob. Right now, he deserved it.

"You know, he's a nice guy," I threw back at him. "Maybe you should be more like him."

Jacob only smiled and looked away like he was thinking some stupid comment in his head. "Maybe you should be more like Lynn, too."

I was immediately infuriated. "Maybe I should try and stab y_ou _in the neck," I gritted through my teeth.

"You wouldn't do that," he assumed.

"Oh, really? It wouldn't matter anyways, it would heal. But guess what, Jacob? I heal faster than all of you. It only took literally two seconds for my wound to heal. So I guess I'm special, or at least better than you."

"You are special," he agreed.

"Damn straight! And I deserve to be. Do you have any idea what shit I've gone through this past month? Any idea? No, you don't have a clue."

"You wouldn't hurt me." He didn't acknowledge any bit of what I had said in the last statement.

I got really close to him. "Well if I was going to then I'd get baseball bat or a hammer."

I picked up the bloody knife and threw it in the sink from where I was standing. I continued to clean up the kitchen until it was spotless. Jacob stood there the entire time watching me. It was irritating. After what happened, he even dared step foot in my house. He ditches me, goes for Lynn, and expects me to be all cool. Yeah, right.

I needed to get away from him. "I'm going to take a shower," I announced to the boys. "I'll be down in a bit."

I stormed up the steps and half slammed my door closed, closing out all the noise.

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	12. Crazy? I Don't Think So

**Confession: I made my boyfriend see new moon with me ten times. It's so hard to find a boy that will do that. Just thought I should share that.**

**And I love my reviews! Wow I got like thirty for the last chapter. So…I think you guys are going to like this one.**

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JPOV

I felt bad. Not only that, but I felt stupid.

Regretful.

Idiotic.

Jealous.

The last one was the worst. I was jealous. I never thought the day would come where I was jealous of Paul. I would laugh at the thought. But this was no laughing matter. Bella saw something in Paul other than his complete ability to be an ass. And how was that? What had Paul said to make Bella believe that he was a good person? Most importantly, what had he done?

But then again, look at what I had done. Paul was probably looking pretty good compared to me right now. I needed to make things right with Bella. We both needed that.

But would apologizing make a difference?

I toned out the other noise in the room, listening in upstairs. I listened to the water run from the shower. Bella was in it. I could hear her soft hum echoing off the walls of the bathroom. It was simple and lovely. I always knew Bella had a beautiful voice from the time I was ten and had walked in on her singing to a Britney Spears song. I listened more closely and heard the water dripping off her body. Involuntarily, I found myself walking up the steps and to her room. I sat down on the bed, facing the next room over toward the bathroom, and stayed silent. All I did was listen to her. Her voice was so soothing.

I thought of ways to apologize but nothing was coming to mind. I was going to wing it when she came in. Maybe the words would flow out and sound right with her in front of me.

That's what I hoped for.

When Bella stepped in her room I looked up right away. She didn't look surprised. I was, however, caught off guard. I had forgotten about the fact that she had gotten out of the shower. She was still dripping wet and had a towel wrapped around her body. I almost lost it right there. I got up fast and tried to avoid looking at her body. I looked wide eyed into her eyes. It wasn't long before my eyes wandered down over her body. I couldn't help it. She smiled back at me like she knew what I was thinking. No doubt she did.

"Well, well, well, what are you looking at, Jacob? See if you can watch me undress?" Bella asked, folding her arms across her chest. "Why are you up here?"

"Um," I started, unable to form words. The images of Bella undressing were now stuck in my mind. Why did she have to say that? "I-I'm sorry, you see…I was…I was not..," I trailed off, not thinking.

_Focus._

"You ditched me and went for someone else," she accused correctly. "And don't make it like it's something else because I was there and I know what happened. Don't play me, Jacob."

"I wasn't playing you," I muttered, not sure if it was the truth.

"Is _that_ it?"

_Yeah, she has a right to be cold towards you, Jake, don't be stupid._

I waited a moment. "I'm sorry about tonight, Bells."

She wasn't convinced, I could tell. "You're going to need to do more than just apologize for me to forgive you. You were rude to me. I asked you to take me home and you didn't even consider me. You left for that other girl…and you know what? I am so sick of people leaving me. I'm never good enough. Is that the case? Am I not good enough? What is it?"

I stayed silent. Bella's big brown eyes searched mine. She was hurt, and it was my fault. I had to accept that, even if I didn't want to.I stepped forward so I was closer to her. "You are good enough. And I didn't leave you, Bella. I swear, I never will. I'm not like E—"

"I never thought he would leave either." Bella looked up at me, very serious. "Things change."

"I know things can change," I explained. "But not for us. I'll always be here for you."

She waited, then turned away from me and went to her open closet. She grabbed out and outfit and held onto it, playing with the ends of her shirt she picked out. "Okay," she finally said. "But I don't want you to promise me anything that you can't keep. I want honesty."

"I _promise, _Bella, I'll never leave you," I said boldly.

Bella seemed so isolated when she spoke next. "I'll believe you, but don't make me regret it."

I grabbed her waist and pulled her against me. Saying anything more wasn't necessary.

"I'm gonna get changed," Bella whispered, pulling away.

I nodded and left the room. I went back down stairs to see that it was empty. I looked around again to make sure I wasn't going crazy. There was no noise. Turning to the door, I opened it and stepped out onto the porch. That's when it hit me. That disgusting icy sweet smell that burned my nose. That only meant one thing. A vampire was near.

My immediate thought was Bella. I turned back and shouted, "Bella! Don't leave the house, okay?"

She appeared at the top of the stairs. "Why?"

I didn't continue on, I stepped outside and raced into the woods. I really hoped Bella wouldn't follow. I tore off my clothes and phased. My paws hit the ground hard as a raced through the woods. I wasn't alone; I could hear Paul and Sam's thoughts as well.

_I'm not sure where it's coming from,_ Sam said to all of us, mostly informing me. _I'm thinking the most likely place would be northeast of here. That's where it all seems to be directed from. It's a guess._

Great, another vampire in town. At first I thought that it might be the Cullens but that was ruled out since their smells were already known. This was a new bloodsucker.

I caught up with the rest of the guys, everyone already phased. Before I knew it, I felt some else phase. I already knew who it was. _What the hell, Jacob? Why would you leave me like that? You scared me half to death just racing out like that. What in the hell happened? Would someone like to explain?_

Everyone went silent. We weren't used to having Bella in on our thoughts. I wasn't used to it either, it being slightly shocking at the moment. I had almost forgotten the fact she was a werewolf. It was almost as if we had all forgotten that there was a vampire on the loose somewhere doing whatever they pleased. Half the town would be dead if we kept this up each time Bella phased.

_So…_I awkwardly started. _Where are you exactly, Bella?_

I didn't see her anywhere. All I needed was for her to get lost. _I don't know, I was following you wherever you went._

_Go back._

I knew she was going to protest. _What? No way. That's not fair._ _I can't come because I'm a girl, right? Is that where you're coming from? Huh, Jacob?_

_You're a handful,_ I told her.

_It's okay, Jacob, she won't be harmed,_ Sam assured me. _She's part of us._

_You see? _Bella threw back; her tone was playful though so I was relieved. I didn't need her mad at me anymore. I was trying to redeem myself from last night. _But you don't have to wait for me if I'm keeping you. I'm not sure where I am,_ she giggled.

All of a sudden, everything was gone. I heard nothing more from Bella. _That's not good._

_I'll get her, go ahead._ I took off in the direction that I came from and tried to find where Bella had gone. Since I no longer heard her thoughts I couldn't communicate with her or even see where she was.

_Damn, Bella, where are you?_ I knew I was talking to myself.

I finally found her in her human form wandering around. Since she was far enough away from me, I decided to phase back so I could find out what happened. It was a bad first word out of Bella's mouth was, "Oh." She looked down and back up in a quick glance, her eyes wide. "Is this something I'm going to have to get used to? I mean, really? Is getting naked in front of me going to become a routine?"

Bella sounded so innocent when she said it. I quickly looked at her and saw that she was only in her bra and a pair of very tight jeans, holding out my pair of shorts. She looked so fucking sexy that I almost dropped her to the ground and tore off her clothes. I didn't know how I was going to control myself. What I would give to have her skin against mine…

"Well, do I have to do it for you?" Bella shook the jeans in front of me. I smiled at the thought she had just given me. Bella realized her mistake and said, "Please, just put them on. I don't walk around naked."

"Not that I wouldn't want you to."

I quickly took the pair of jeans and slipped them on, though I felt Bella's eyes on me. When they were all the way back on my body, I stared back up at Bella. "Enjoy the show?"

"Yes," she said, sounding partially honest.

I didn't know how to reply to that so I ended up keeping my mouth shut about that. "So, what are you doing here anyways?"

Bella automatically looked flustered. "Um, I thought…I thought I saw…something…never mind it wasn't what I thought it was." She glanced to the left and peered around. "I'm not sure."

"What did you think it was?" I cautiously asked her. I didn't need to read her mind to know it was bad.

Bella didn't answer; she only started with another subject. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Jacob. What happened in the past, things that haunt me, things I'll never be able to forget." Slowly, Bella reached out her arm and flipped it over. I automatically rested my hand underneath it and pulled her closer. I stared down at the mark on her wrist that I had never seen before. Her skin. Teeth marks. My brain had finally made the connection between the two. Bella had been bitten by a vampire.

"When did this happen?" I demanded, but I soon realized the answer. "Did this happen when you went to Phoenix?"

"Yes," she answered. "Another vampire was after me. He was a tracker and…it's hard to explain but me wanted me, James did. So I had to leave. We got there and one thing led to another. I was in my old ballet studio and James was there too. He ended up biting me when Edward and he were fighting. Edward had to suck out the venom and that's what landed me in the hospital…if he hadn't done that, I'd be a vampire right now. Everything would be so different."

The newfound information was hard to hear. "Would you rather be that?" I asked in disgust.

"No," she whispered. "If I had the choice I would choose to be normal but then again, maybe I wouldn't. They didn't want to become vampires, Jake, they didn't ask for it. Don't be so prejudice. The Cullens didn't do anything wrong."

"Didn't do anything wrong?" I spit out. "Their existence is wrong. Everything they did was wrong. Look at what they did to you? I know you are still upset over the damn bloodsucker."

The words came out to fast and all wrong.

Stupid.

Stupid.

Stupid me.

What a fucking idiot I was.

Bella looked shocked, unable to speak. So much for getting forgiveness from her anytime soon. First I fuck up at the beach and now this was happening. I needed to learn to think before I did or said something.

"Bella, I didn't mean that."

"Yes you did," she objected. "Don't take back what you mean."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," I whispered. "I know you're hurtting on the inside from _him, _from _them_."

"I'm trying not to be."

Bella started to walk off, but I followed. She may not want my company at the moment but I knew she would need me later on. I thought she might want to go somewhere that was peaceful, someplace she could think.

"You wanna go somewhere?"

"Where?" Her voice was so quiet that it was painful. "I don't have a shirt with me."

I chuckled. "Lucky for you i already took some of your stuff and put it out around the woods. You'll always need back up for when you unexpectedly phase and ruin your clothes."

"Going through my drawers, huh?"

"No, i only took shirts and pants. I wasn't in your room going through your bras or anything like that."

Bella sighed, "So where are we going?"

I placed my hand around hers. "Come on, I'll show you."

WhenIi stopped to grab a shirt, Bella wasn't surprised at all when she saw it. I had handed her a V neck short sleeved blue top that looked amazing on her. We continued on and I didn't let go of her hand, and she didn't give the impression that she wanted to either. Her hand was so soft and small around mine. I was loving every second of it. We fit together so well, I was wondering if Bella was going to see that anytime soon. We walked for a while, Bella not questioning where it was exactly that we were going. This was good. This meant that she trusted me.

When the opening in the trees came, I was glad. I turned towards Bella, whose eyes were widening. "Whoa," was the first word she said. "Look at this."

I knew this place would make her happy, where she could enjoy some peace and quiet. We were on top of a mountain overlooking the trees and streams. The only thing you could hear was the gentle wind blowing past your ear. The ground was covered in soft green grass, where there was the occasional purple flower popping up. It was unusual for winter.

Bella walked out to the edge and stood there. She looked back, indicating that she wanted me. I came to her side and pulled her against my chest. "I used to come here a lot," I explained. "Most of the time Embry and Quil were with me though. There's no one around for miles. You can do anything up here and no one would ever know."

She laughed, assumingly. "Like doing what? Getting drunk?"

"No," objected dishonestly. "I've had some pretty good times up here."

"_Dude, what's up with this Bella chick? She's so hot," Embry said. "And she's seventeen. Seventeen! Do you even know what this means?"_

"_Hell yeah, Jake! She's a fucking babe." Quil agreed. "You gonna bang her or what?"_

_I ignored them both and laid back with me hands behind my head. They were dead on about her. Bella was a dream girl and had now moved only fifteen minutes away from me. I t was even better that I knew her before since we were childhood friends. "Shut up," I remarked. "And can you not say it like that? It makes you seem like a douche."_

"_Alright, alright, chill out. Let me reword it then since you are so picky about it…are you going to fuck her like crazy?"_

_I got up and punched him on the shoulder. "Shit," he cussed. "Since when are you so fucking strong, Black? You on fucking steroids or some shit like that?"_

"_Why must you curse after every word? It's annoying," I told him._

"_I second that!" agreed Embry._

"_Whatever. So back to Bella. Did you think we were going to skip right over this miracle? Washington actually has one hot girl in it! I mean, did you see her body?"_

"_Yes, Quil, I did." Of course I did..._

_He leaned back as well. "What I couldn't do to that small body…"_

"_You're about a word away from being thrown off this cliff, Quil. I would watch what you say," I clenched through my teeth. For some reason I felt like I was the only one allowed to think of Bella in that way. "No one would ever know what happened to you."_

"_Looks like Jake's in love," Embry sang in a weird, high-pitched voice. "Yup, he is crazy in love with this girl, Quil, can you believe it?_

_Crazy? I doubted that._

"_You sound creepy," I said back._

"_Yeah, dude, don't ever do that again." The two of them went on bickering like a married couple but I just laid back and imagined Bella._

_I think we all knew that thinking of Bella was more than my fifteen year old body could handle._

After I had that memory of when Bella had moved to Forks, I simply sat down on the grass, forgetting that Bella was still on my arm. She got dragged down too and landed on her butt. "You could have warned me," she pointed out.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It doesn't matter," she sighed. "And about what happened last night and today, I forgive you."

"Really?" I pried. "What's with the sudden change of heart?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "I can't stay mad at you forever."

"Forever is a long time," I whispered.I didn't know what made me do it or why but I slowly reached my hand across Bella's face and pulled her towards me. Before I knew it, I was dipping me head down towards her, leaning in to kiss her.

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**Sorry if there are a lot of mistakes. I didn't have a lot of time to go over it since I wanted to post it tonight.**

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	13. The Unseen Eyes

**I was so worried about when I was going to be able to update next because I was having a problem with my wireless. I had to have my laptop sent in for repairs so I had no way of updating. My apologies. So I made the chapter extra good for making you wait…at least that's what I think.**

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BPOV

Jacob's hand reached over me and gently touched my chin, pulling my face towards his. My heart started to race when I realized what was happening. My brain wasn't working. Part of me wanted to pull away but the other half was telling me to stay put and not move an inch. My head said no but my heart was saying something entirely different.

Which one do I listen to?

But maybe I wanted to know what it felt like. I still sat frozen in place. Jacob and I were so close together, so close and I hadn't made up my mind. Before words could come out, Jacob's lips touched mine ever so softly, the space almost closing between us. It was _almost_ a kiss.

In the fraction of a second I smelled a god awful smell. I yanked away. It was an icy sweet smell that I had never smelled before in my life. It burned my nose so badly. My stomach felt instantly sick with dread. The feeling made me nervous.

I brought my hands up in front of my chest. They were shaking. My eyes widened in fears as they looked for Jacob. He was already up and in front of my, yanking me up as well. The wind picked up and blew the icy sweet air towards me.

"Vampire," Jacob spat out.

There was no time to think about what had happened only seconds ago. Jacob was fully focused on our new guest. Both of us scanned the wooded area for whatever was coming this way. I heard _something _running, running way too fast for it to be anything human.

"I want you to stay here, Bella, you understand?"

"No, Jake, I—"

I never got to finish. "Bella, please don't fight me on this. Just stay put. I don't want you to be hurt." Jacob took off into the woods, leaving me behind. I knew the reason was because he wanted me safe. I would feel safer with him, though.

I was alone.

Or though I thought.

_This is no time to panic...not yet._

I frantically scanned the wood line for the source of the feelings of being watched by unseen eyes. There had to be something there. I stumbled back a few steps. The nervousness in the pit of my stomach began to grow as the seconds pushed forward. My breath picked up as my heart raced. For some reason, my head tilted to the left. I couldn't see beyond the trees so I looked harder. My eyes adjusted to the dark and looked past the darkness as objects molded around my eyes. There, standing in the woods, was a dark figure. The exact figure I thought I had seen earlier in the woods today.

It had to be a vampire.

A chill ran up my spine. The thought of approaching the figure, or it approaching me, crossed my mind. I was not a normal human anymore. I could withstand so much more. Why would I want to stand here in fear if I didn't have to?

I let my breath go, taking a step forward. The figure vanished, running in the opposite direction. I now knew it was a vampire. Only a vampire could run like that. Catching up to it would be hard but I made my decision all too fast. I figured if I healed quicker than the rest of them, just maybe, I would be faster too. Fast enough to catch the damn thing. I only wanted to know who it was and what they wanted.

I flashed back to when Paul had been walking me home, when I had felt like I was being watched. The same feeling. Same vampire.

I took off as well, forgetting that Jacob had told me to stay put. I raced after the unknown vampire that had been watching me.I had never ran this fast in my life. I was flying through the trees at a pace that was so unknown to me. I hadn't yet discovered my new abilities.

I saw the vampire in front of me. It had to know that I was chasing it by now. Barely seeing what was in front of me before it appeared; I made sharp turns and dodged out of the way. The next time I glanced in front of me, it was gone. I came to a sudden stop. I wasn't out of breath or even breaking a sweat. The vampire was still here, close but not where I could see. It didn't run off, but was staying hidden.

The weird thing was I was getting a thrill out of it.

Silently, I moved my feet over one another and moved myself in a circle so I got a feel for the area. My senses were telling me that there was something upward. My eyes went to the tall trees. I remained as silent as I could, listening so hard that I could hear a pin drop.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," I sang in a whisper, and then gave a low laugh.

I was having fun hunting this vampire down.

All was all so new to me, and yet it was exciting. It was like I had been doing this all my life.

A new strange world I had been brought into. The existence of vampires alone had been a shock but the existence of vampires _and _werewolves was like nothing I could put into words. Not to mention that I _was_ one now. I was supposed to get rid of vampires. Before I had wanted nothing more than to become a vampire and now I was supposed to have this undeniable hatred for them.

"Bella!" I heard Jacob call. He broke my concentration. I decided that I needed to go back and find him. Hunting this vampire could wait.

"I'm here!" I answered, trudging back through the woods.

I didn't hear his voice anymore so I stayed put. I thought it would be easier for him to find me than it was for me to find him. Someone grabbed my waist and pulled me around. Jacob caught my arm mid swing.

"Sorry," I apologized, blushing. "I didn't know it was you."

Jacob practically threw me against his chest. "Jeez, Bella! I didn't know what to think. Do you have any idea how freaked I was. I came back and you weren't there…damn don't ever do that again." He was squeezing me so hard that it was hard to breath. I speak because I didn't want him to stop.

"Jake," I pulled away slightly so his arms were still around me. "There was a vampire at the edge of the woods…watching me…I went after it…and…and…then I heard you so I left. But, Jacob, it's been watching me! I know it was. It was watching me in the woods earlier today, remember? When you came and asked what happened…I had seen it. That's what I had been looking for. But even before that. "

Jacob was speechless for a minute from the new information. "It _wants _you." It didn't sound like it was a question.

"I think so. Why else would it be…following me?"

"I don't know," he responded. Jacob's grip tightened around me. "We'll have to tell the pack about this."

I looked around. "Can we go now? It's going to be getting dark so and I don't want to be here."

"Of course, Bells."

He started to walk but I stopped him. "Wait," I said softly, feeling silly about what I was going to ask. "Don't you wanna phase instead?

He narrowed his eyes. "Do you _want_ to?"

"Well why not? Practice makes perfect. Plus, I have to get a handle of all this. It's hard enough already and I want to get used to phasing. Don't you think so?"

Jacob nodded, then smiled. I wondered how weird it was for him to have me apart of the pack, or if it was even like that for him. What were the rest of them thinking? We all knew what Paul thought but I never got the chance to talk face to face with the others. I only heard their thoughts, which were not

I buried my face into my hands. "Oh, damn! I told Kim that I was going to go over to Emily's and have a sleepover with them," I remembered. "I have to go! They are probably wondering where I am."

"Alright, I'll catch up with Sam and let him know what happened." Jacob grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. "Be careful. I there are any signs of a vampire around I want you to call me. I only want you to be safe."

"I won't always be out of danger," I told him. "It's impossible for me. The whole me being a magnet for danger doesn't help the situation…ever."

Jacob chuckled, lightening the mood. "Go on, get to Emily's."

I smiled in return and faced a new direction. I took one look back. "This is the way, right?" I pointed my finger to what I believed to be east of where ever we were now.

"We need to program a map into your head, Bella. What happens if you get lost?"

I thought for a minute. "Um, well then someone has to come find me," I sighed. "Or I'll figure it out on my own."

"Alright. Remember to be careful."

"I will," I whispered. I turned around and walked into the cover of the wooded area. I expanded out my senses to make sure no one was watching me. There was no one for miles. I stripped out my clothes and folded them neatly in a pile on the ground. It was a strange feeling being naked in the woods. It felt somewhat off. I wanted to be covered again so I quickly cleared out my mind, focusing. I ran forward and dove into air. There was that ripping sound that I absolutely hated; I didn't like to think about what was happening. I was pretty much jumping out of my skin. White fur flew out from me once I was in my new form.

I heard nothing. This meant that I was free to think whatever. I smiled because this was what I wanted; to be alone with my thoughts. I walked over and picked up my clothes with my mouth, pausing to look at my paws. Yup, it was still pretty strange for me. I thought that I might be used to it by now but clearly that was not the case. I didn't even know why this happened to me. I wasn't Quileute.

Sam had said that the only reason this happened to them was because they were born with it. They had their answers. I, however, did not. I had no explanation whatsoever. Nothing. Absolutely no clue as to why this happened to me.

There were reasons why I didn't think to hard about it, this being one of them. I didn't know how to answer any of my own questions.

My paws hit the ground hard, traveling eastward toward Emily's. I was going fast, and it was fun. Never had I experienced speed like this until today. I was glad that I finally gave in and embraced my new life. I was a werewolf, so what?

_That's the spirit!_

I reached Emily's sooner than I thought. I hadn't ever been here before s o I was surprised when I automatically knew where she lived. Kim was even waiting outside for me.

"I didn't know if you were going to come!" she shouted. Kim bounced all the way down the steps to greet me. "I'm glad you came! Come meet Emily, you'll love her."

Kim rushed me up the steps and into the small house. It had a homey feel to it. Very welcoming. It was much laid out like Jacob's house was. Mostly kitchen in front which I could tell was a good thing for Emily. When we walked in she was cooking something that smelled really good.

"She's always cooking," Kim informed me. "It's her life. Cooks breakfast for the boys, then lunch and dinner. The girl is crazy."

"I am not crazy," Emily said back. For the first time I saw the scars she had. They were worse than I had pictured. I quickly looked away and let her finish. "I like my boys to be full because when they're not they get cranky," she laughed.

"So this is Bella," Kim introduced. "The newest pack member."

Emily wiped her hands a towel and rushed over to me. I was slightly surprised that she hugged me. I wasn't used to people being so comfortable with people they just meet. "Oh, Sam has told me all about you," she begun. "I could hardly believe it the night he came home and said Bella Swan was a werewolf."

"I could hardly believe it myself," I added.

"Strange world we live in," Kim pondered. "One day your life is normal and the next…it's not."

_Yeah, that's happened to me a few times_. _The whole world flipped upside down thing? Yup, I've been through it quite a few times._

"So what's it like?" Kim questioned.

I realized she was talking to me. "What's what like?"

"Being a werewolf," she cleared it up. Even Emily stopped cooking to listen in.

How could I possibly describe it? "Well," I started. "Um, I'm still getting used to it. But it's…hard to put into words."

"I can't imagine," Emily said.

_Me either._

"Well let's get the party started! We are having a girl's night, no boys allowed. Em, I'm sure they can feed themselves so stop cooking! I swear she lives to do it." Kim turned to me. "Paul stopped by and dropped off some of your stuff for our sleepover."

My eyes about popped out of my head. "Paul? He did what?"

Kim pointed over t a pink bag and my purple sleeping bag that I hadn't used in years. "He brought it over when I said we were having a sleepover. I think he said something like you'd forget to pack stuff. But we all know Paul. He just wanted an excuse to go through your drawers. If I had known, I would have instead on going with him but he didn't say a thing. Came back with your stuff in hand and a smirk on his face. I hate it that smile. It's like he's mocking you; he knows something you don't."

"Paul is a nice boy," Emily giggled. "But, he can get a bit annoying."

"_A bit_?" Kim placed herself at the table. "He is the most annoying guy I've ever met."

"I'll second that," I agreed. "You may want to say your goodbyes to Paul because I'm gonna kill him."

Paul went through my stuff? What, did he think he had a right to do that? All I knew was that the next time I saw him he was going to have two broken hands. Then he wouldn't be able to dig through my clothes anymore. Despite being mad at Paul, I was not going to think about it. I wanted to enjoy the time I had with Kim and Emily.

"Looks like you've got _two _boys on your tail," Kim pondered sweetly. She then turned to me, clasping her hand over her heart. "I didn't mean it to sound like I was referring to you being a werewolf, I really didn't. The word _tail _seemed to fit the—"

"It's okay," I interrupted her. "Don't worry about it."

Kim nodded and whisper, "Oh, okay.

_Two boys on my tail…does she really think that Paul and Jacob…_

"So," Kim said again before I could finish my thought. "Are we going to do this or what?" she hopped up and went over to Emily, taking the frying pan away from her. "I think you've had enough cooking for one day, Sam told you specifically not to cook and have fun with us girls. Now look at you? You can't stay away from this kitchen."

"I can to," Emily retorted. She quickly glanced up to me. "Kim is usually the quiet girl how won't say a thing, now look at her. She won't stop talking."

"That's because I am comfortable around the both of you." She turned back to me and smiled. "We're all friends, I know it. We're gonna get all wrinkly and old together and we are going to be best friends forever."

"I hope so," said Emily.

"Me too," I said.

For some reason I felt that I had known Kim and Emily since I was a child. It was like I had already known them. Kim was my age and Emily was only nineteen about to turn twenty. We were all still teenagers.

"So let's gets started. I rented a thousand and one movies for us to watch. Everything from romance to horror to comedy. I have it all. Oh, and I got candy. I have everything of that too! Candy is one of my major food groups."

"Mmm, sounds good to me," I hummed. "I could some sugar in my system."

"Let's get started."

This was all so new to me. I had only been to two sleepovers in my life, which both had happened at a young age. As the sun started to set, we set out all the food that Emily had made for our sleepover. We set out the sleeping bags on the floor and huddled around each other. There was lots of laughter. It felt could to be able to be myself. I could talk about the whole werewolf thing with them and they would be understanding about it so a certain extent. I wasn't allowed to say anything to my other friends at school. I didn't want to tell anyone either. I didn't want to seem like a monster.

I was not a monster, was what I thought.

I didn't necessarily believe myself.

I began to zone out after that. I didn't even pay attention to the movie. It wasn't long until Emily noticed. "Hey, you okay?" she asked.

Kim threw a handful of popcorn at me. "Oh, she's fine. This movie is completely boring. It was even losing me." She got up and grabbed another movie, holding it above her head and dancing around. "Onto the next one! A scary one this time."

"Someone has had too much sugar," I accused.

"Well that's what three bottles of soda, five bags of candy, and a bag of popcorn does to you!" Kim sang, putting in the movie.

"She's usually not like this," Emily explained. "Only when she gets sugar in her system…then she goes crazy."

Kim turned and put one hand on her hip. "Yes, but then I crash and sleep until noon," she slurred, then falling down, resting her head onto my legs that were spread out in front of me.

We giggled some more and watched three more movies. I was the last one up. Emily and Kim were sleeping soundly, that is, if Kim's loud snoring was considered under that category. I was finding it difficult to get sleep. I only laid there with my eyes open with Kim snoring in my ear. I tried to shrug her off but her arm involuntarily reached over and grabbed me so I stayed out. Laughing a little, I gave up.

Instead of sleeping, I thought about the mysterious vampire that had been watching me earlier today. I wanted to know so bad who it was and what they wanted. The best part was that I wasn't scared at all, and that felt good. I wasn't a fragile little human anymore. I could defend myself.

"Jared," Kim said in her sleep. We had that in common. Apparently, I liked to sleep talk as well.

Just as I was drifting off, I heard subtle footsteps hitting the wood floor. My eyes immediately flew open. "It's just me," said Jacob.

I smiled at him. "Help me up," I mouthed to him, pointed to Kim. She had now taken over my body as her personal pillow.

Jacob removed Kim and held out his hand for me. I took it, Jacob yanking me up. I thudded against his chest, my eyes widening. "Ouch," I muttered. "Don't do that."

"Come on, I gotta show you something." Jacob smiled extremely big like he had a secret. "It's a surpise."

"What is it?"

"Well, the thing is, I don't think you completely forgave me so I figured that I should settle it once and for all," he explained seriously. "I don't want you to be mad at me in the back of your mind."

I couldn't fight him on it. I hadn't entirely one hundred percent forgave him yet, even though I said that I did.

Agreeing, I said, "Alright, let's go."

*******

**Love it, hate it? Tell me what you think. Sorry again for making you wait so long. Reviews=Love**


	14. Breath Of Fresh Air

**Snow, snow, and more snow. It's everywhere. I had three feet out my front door. So I stayed inside and wrote a chapter, which I actually rewrote about a thousand times. I can't figure out where I wanted to go in the chapter. I hope it's good.**

**Once again I'd like to say that I didn't abandon my other story. I simply took a break. I've had a very bad writer's block. I'll be updating Sparkling Shadows soon.**

*******

JPOV

Seeing Bella again was like a breath of fresh air. Even though her hair was messy and she had some popcorn in it, she was adorable. They must have had a good time. Kim and Emily were still asleep on the floor but Bella was awake, staring at the TV. I was sure there was nothing exciting or worth watching on at four in the morning. What in the world had they done last night?

Bella and I were now quietly trying to sneak out of the house without waking the other girls up. "Where are we going?" Bella asked again.

"I told you, it's a surprise. Do you really want me to tell you?" I whispered back.

"No, I like surprises," she assured me. "But it's really early and I don't want them to wake up and me not be here."

"You'll be back before they wake up, I promise. You're gonna like this."

Last night I had thought of and genius plan to win Bella's forgiveness back. Although, watching the sun rise might not be considered genius. I thought that it might, if I was lucky, show Bella that I was truly sorry. I was going to apologize about a million times more if that's what it took.

I quietly unlocked the door and stepped out into the damp morning. The sun hadn't risen yet so it was still dark out. I took Bella's hand and tried to pretend like I didn't mean the world to me. How I had gotten to this point right now was unbelievable. It all had started on that fateful day that we met at the beach. From that point on it had gone from a simple crush on a girl I made mud pies with when I was little to being full blown in love with her.

I was sixteen, a werewolf, and in love.

Never expected that one.

Ever.

I couldn't' say I loved being a werewolf but I couldn't say I hated it either. It had gotten a lot better now that Bella was in on it, and a werewolf herself…

Didn't expect that one either.

"I'm excited," Bella said giddily.

Her statement made me feel excited as well. "You're gonna love it." There was a brief moment of silence before I added, "So what were you girls up to all night?"

"Well, first off I must say that you were right, I do like Emily. I think we'll all be great friends. Kim is…funny and…a bit crazy when she's had a lot of sugar," she giggled. "It was fun. We watched movies, you, know, the regular sleepover was good to have some girl time."

"Tired of being around us boys _already_?" I joked.

"No," she responded, smiling. "It's just that I can't go hang out with Jessica or Angela and not want to tell them…"

"Yeah, I get what you're saying." My thoughts went to Quil. I hadn't talked to him in ages. I felt bad about when he would try to get a hold of us and we were forced to ignore him. "I know exactly where you're coming from."

I wondered what Bella was thinking. Most importantly, what was she thinking about me. What was I classified as in her mind?

_Be upfront with her, _my mind told me,_ just do it and get it over with._

My hand went to my temples in frustration. I'd been debating this all night. Right after I had talked to Sam about the mystery vampire in town that's been _looking after_ Bella. Oh joy, another bloodsucker in town looking for Bella. This made me even more nervous to leave her alone. If the bloodsucker was around and Bella happened to run into it...things would not be good. I reminded myself that I needed to tell Sam that one of us should be with Bella at all times. Just in case something were to happen.

What did the stupid leech want?

Yet another question that has been racking my brain since last night. Why did all these vampires want Bella? It was like they were popping out of thin air.

It was clear to me that Bella wasn't paying attention. "Bells," I said. "We're here."

She looked up. "We're on the beach," she said, then rolled her eyes, saying, "obviously. Why are we here?"

"Ever watched the sunrise on a beach, Bells?"

She immediately smiled. "This is the surprise?"

"Yeah it is. Corny, huh?"

"No, no, it's….really sweet of you," she admitted. I could tell by the expression on her face that she meant it.

_Score! _

"Well then"—I scooped up Bella in my arms bride style—"Let's go this way."

"Ah! Jacob!" Bella laughed. "A little warning might be nice."

I carried her over to the middle of the beach and I fell back into the sand with Bella still on me. She sighed and rolled to the side of me. Her hair brushed onto my face so I gently took the strands in my fingers and brushed them away. Bella slowly turned her head to look at me, smiling and quickly turning her head back down so look at the ocean. I, however, kept my eyes focused on her. I wanted Bella so bad.

Bella snuggled closer to me as the sun started to peek over the ocean water. "It's so pretty," Bella murmured.

"Not as pretty as you, though," I whispered into her ear.

"Jake," she whispered back, nudging me away.

"I have something I need to ask you," I said way to eagerly.

Bella looked like a deer in headlights. Her body jerked up into a sitting position. "Please, don't." Her voice was so little and filled with hurt.

"Bella," I whispered again, resting my head onto her shoulder. "I'm not ever going to hurt you like _he _did, Bells, you know that. I'd never do that."

I could tell she was holding back tears when she spoke. "How can I be sure? I know that you can see what _he _did to me. Jacob, he said he same thing and look at what happened. He left. How do I know…how do I know you're not going to leave. I know that I've already said this before but I…I don't know what to think."

I sighed into her shoulder. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know."

I acted on impulse, my hands touching her cheeks and moving her face towards. "Bells, you can trust me…If you let me show you how I feel…"

Time seemed to take forever to pass. It was one of those moments where you can't think of anything else to say, where there's nothing more you can say to make a difference in the way someone feels.

Bella tilted her head upward. "Jake, I know that we've had a couple…moments…but—"

"No, no buts'. Just let yourself feel what you feel," I told her. I wanted nothing more than a chance to make her feel better. "For once."

"I'm afraid to get hurt, Jake. I don't want another heartbreak."

Truthfully I said, "I'm not going to break your heart."

Seconds passed.

I could tell Bella was undecided.

"Show me," she finally said.

*******

**It was a quick chapter, I know, but I needed to get it out of the way so I could start Bella's point of view. I'm sure we'd all like to know what she's thinking right about now.**


	15. Say Goodbye To The Past

**Okay, so I've been very bad. So sorry I haven't updated in so long. It's terrible. But, I've been extremely busy with school which I'm sure you could all understand. I've been so behind with everything. But, I'm back! Yay! And how awesome is the eclipse trailer? Of course I was expecting to see the Cullens and the wolf pack in there but I'll settle of what we got. Only three months and a few days until the movie comes out. Am I the only one who gets crazy excited over that? At least we don't have to wait until November now.**

**Note: And how adorable where Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart at the Oscars? So cute! They would make such a cute couple…if they aren't already. One can only wish. And, I must say that I was the only one in my town who decided to go out to Wal-Mart and get the New Moon DVD. Oh well…it was fun being one of three people in the store.**

**BPOV**

"Show me," the words fell off my tongue.

I wasn't quite sure what my mind was thinking. I wanted to feel something, anything for that matter. I didn't want Edward's rejection to rule my every move. Being closed off from love or any form of affection someone was willing to give me was something that I no longer needed. I couldn't seal myself off from the world just because a guy left me. My whole world shouldn't crumble down, leaving me hopeless. If someone _else _wanted me then I should let them in.

_Its Edward's loss, not yours, _I reminded myself mentally.

And Jacob made me feel better. Sometimes he may not think things clearly or thoroughly before he does them but there something special about him that made me feel good inside. He knew what to say when I was hurt and he knew how to make up for his actions. After all, he was sixteen and didn't know how to handle girls or their emotions. That's what I decided with.

Jacob stared at me like he was trying to deciding what to do. Finally, he said, "I'm not going to let you do something you'll regret. You're not ready for anything."

"I know," I whispered, then added, "I want to be, though."

It was the truth. Funny how Jacob always knew what I was thinking before I even thought it. He knew me all too well. That was something else I could be grateful for. He wasn't going to push me out of my comfort zone until I was ready. Only if everyone could be like that.

"You know what?"

"What?" I managed to say.

He leaned in. "You're nothing like a big scary werewolf."

I laughed, suddenly feeling as light as a feather. I slowly released a breath that I didn't know I was holding. "Thanks."

I peeled myself up and off of the sand, my feet sinking into the wetness. I took a moment to look back at the ocean. It was so beautiful. The weather was clear and warmer today. Putting on a happy face to go dress shopping might not be impossible.

I leaned in and hugged Jacob. It always felt so good to me. There was _something _there, something that I wasn't going to acknowledge yet. As much as I wanted to, I knew I had to sort of my feelings. I needed to do that desperately.

What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I admit it to myself? I shouldn't be holding back but something inside of me was. Maybe I was just trying to protect myself and my heart. I didn't need heartbreak; I wouldn't be able to take it. As much as anyone wanted to tell me that they wouldn't hurt me, I couldn't believe them. Edward had said the same thing, and look where I ended up. It wasn't fair that I had to feel like this, be so confused. Nothing seemed to be right these days.

_Nothing is._

There had to be some sort of way for me to sort things out, get my head out of the clouds. Pushing the past out was what I needed. Although, erasing the memories that plagued my mind would be impossible. If I didn't let them hurt me so much each time my mind decided to bring them up, then maybe I could move on.

_Move on._

I had considered that before and never followed through with the thought. Maybe if I tried, really, really tried then I could get past it all. If I could move on, then it might just solve my problems.

I would try, starting today. It'll take some time for me, but I could do it. I could, and I would.

_Say goodbye to the past, Bella._

"I gotta go," Jacob sighed, pulling away.

"Same here," I replied. "I'm going dress shopping with Emily and Kim for the wedding."

Jacob gave me a surprised look. "You? Dress shopping?"

"Yes, and I'm actually kind of excited about it."

"I would have never suspected that Bella Swan would be going dress shopping…and actually wanted to," he laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "Who would've guessed?" I laughed. "But I really have to go now. I don't want them waking me up and me not being there. We have quite a schedule today."

"Alright, just make sure to be careful," Jacob reminded me.

"Always am."

It didn't take me that long to get back to Emily's. Luckily, both Emily and Kim were still asleep. I crept back over and quietly laid back down in my spot so they wouldn't notice that I ever left. Being sneaky was fun. I smiled to myself. They would never know.

Thirty minutes later Kim started to stir. "Morning, sunshine," I said happily.

Kim groaned. "I think I have a sugar hangover."

"I bet you do."

We silently got up and began to get for the day. Emily seemed like the type of person that would have everything in order within the ten minutes she got up. I would benefit from a head start.

Emily got up as Kim and I finished getting ready. I found focusing extremely hard. I kept thinking about Jacob. Why couldn't I love what's good for me? I thought of Jacob and I felt better…then I would think of Edward and be ripped apart. I couldn't let that happen anymore. I _had _to choose what was good for me and what was right. Being pulled back into the dark each time I would think of a bad memory wasn't healthy.

I watched as the tress went by as Emily and Kim chatted in the front seat. The gloominess of the day wasn't putting a damper on their mood. Apparently, I was the only one affected by the harsh weather. I was so confused by this point.

As we parked outside the bridal shop, I slowly exited the car. My excitement for this dress shopping had plummeted from the time I had entered the car until now. I felt like crawling into bed to think about what I should do.

I must have zoned out for a bit because the next thing I heard was, "What about this one?" Emily asked, coming out of the dressing room. She was dressed in an all white dress with lace and was beaming.

"Oh, that's the one!" Kim squealed.

"But it's the first one I've tried on," Emily said, still smiling. "It is cute, though."

"I'm gonna go with Kim on this one," I mentioned. I got up and went over to the mirror where Emily was looking at her dress. "Sam will love it."

For a split second, like I was having a vision, I saw myself in the mirror in a white wedding dress. I looked away fast and focused once more.

"Get this one," I whispered. "There's no need to try anything else on."

Emily turned to me. "By the way, I took the liberty of choosing your bridesmaid dress out since you were off in a daze for the entire time."

"Are you mad?" I questioned?

"Of course not. I know this isn't really your thing…and I have a pretty good idea what you were thinking about anyways."

I cleared my throat and looked down to the ground, then back to Emily. "And what was I thinking about?"

"You were thinking about Jacob. I'm sure of it," she stated, without any doubt in her voice. I wasn't thinking that she was going to get it correct.

"How do you know?" I felt slightly embarrassed.

"Because I do. And…I know for a fact that Jacob always thinks about you."

"I know…" I trailed off.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

I needed a distraction. "So what does this bridesmaid dress look like?"

Emily giggled, looking over her shoulder. "You'll find out on the day of the wedding. It's pink."

"You better not put me in some pink, ruffled, bows all over, crazy looking dress," I complained. "Do not put me in a pink dress. Please, please, please, anything but pink!"

Emily put her hands on her hips. "Bella, you will look lovely in it. Believe me; I know what I'm talking about. And it's a pretty, light pink. I would not put you in some crazy hot pink dress with crazy bows all over that you would hate." She leaned in and whispered, "Jacob will love it, too."

The reminder of Jacob made my heart flutter. I had never felt like this towards Jacob before. The butterflies in my stomach were new as well.

"Maybe you should tell him how you feel."

I shook my head. "I-I-I don't know what to say or do or…or what I should do. Emily, I'm so confused."

"Listen to your heart," she told me.

"I think I should."

"Then what are you still doing here?" Emily asked. "Go find him."

"Thanks, Em," I whispered and gave her a quick hug. Without any hesitation, I turned around and walked out the door. I began down the crowded street, pushing past the people that I didn't see coming my way since I was so focused on getting to Jacob. Once I hit the corner I followed the road that lead into the woods.

Phasing was still new to me, although I was more comfortable with now than before. I paused a few feet into the woods and glanced over my shoulder to make sure that the woods were dense enough so that no one on the road could see me. Still, I was hesitant again when I realized that I _actually _was going to have to phase. I slowly started to walk deeper into the forest so I could be sure that no one was going to be watching me. When I knew I was deep enough, I began to tear off my clothes. I was glad that I had worn items that were easy to remove. Once they were all off, I stood there and stared at the ground. Not wanting to stand completely naked, I held my breath and leapt forward.

The ripping sound was loud, almost sounding painful to my own ears. Luckily, I didn't feel any pain, just the feeling of my body changing.

_Yeah, still feels weird._

I didn't even realize that there was someone else listening. _Bella?_

_Jeez, you scared me,_ I snapped, slightly frightened.

Embry was nice about it. _Sorry, didn't mean to. _There was some silence before he spoke again. _Whoa, Jake's right, I can't see inside you head. How are you doing that?_

_I'm not exactly sure._

_Lucky, _Embry remarked. _So who are you looking for? Jacob?_

_Yeah, you know where he is?_

_I'm gonna take a lucky guess and say the beach._

I knew exactly which one to go to. _Thanks._

_***_

**So I decided to put the rest in the next chapter. And this time it's for real. There will be lovin' on the beach.**

**Reviews=Love**


	16. Back To Normal

**Once again, I've been bad. I haven't updated in so long! I feel so incredibly guilty. Things have been so hectic and I haven't had much free time. There's so much to be done and it seems impossible to keep on top of everything. But the good news is that all my finals are finished and I have the summer to write. So here's a short chapter that I got half way finished and then didn't touch for two months – sorry again about that.**

**Thank you for reading, lovelies! And please forgive me for being so slow with this update.**

JPOV

Since I had nothing better to do, I stayed on the beach. I laid flat on my back with my hands behind my head propping me up so I could see the ocean. It was still cloudy, no surprise there, but the wind had died down making it warmer out.

Truthfully, I was bored out of my mind. The vampire hadn't been back since we chased her to the border the other night. It reminded me that I hadn't yet told Bella. I tried telling myself that it was because vampires were dangerous and she shouldn't be around them. Then I would be kidding myself. It was wrong to keep this information from her. I just didn't want her to know because I felt like I couldn't protect her from the nasty bloodsucker that seemed so determined to get to Forks.

And why was that? What did the damn thing want to badly? I guess I would never know the answer, considering I wasn't about to strike up a conversation with the disgusting thing.

Stupid vampires were always ruining everything.

Everything.

Even Bella.

Of course Bella was a much more pleasant topic to think about, I worried. I knew that she wasn't herself entirely. I couldn't imagine what she was going through.

Truth was, reality sucked.

I took a deep breath of the ocean air. Why was it that i felt so at peace here? I was pretty sure that it was because Bella and I met. I turned to my right, and as if my prayers had been answered, there was Bella. She was smiling a smile that I knew was true and wasn't faked in any way. It was a shame she had gotten so used to faking being happy. "Bella!" I said enthusiastically.

"Hey," she replied back, inching closer. Something seemed different about her today. I couldn't place what it was though. Her smile was brighter and her eyes looked more alive than they had before.

The girl I had met when she first came to Forks was back. Bella was back. _My _Bella.

"I knew you wouldn't last more than an hour shopping," I told her.

Bella sighed, agreeing. " Oh well. I guess I'm just not the shopping kind of girl."

"Oh, well," I sighed. "It's not for everyone."

I turned but she stopped me. "There's something I wanted to tell you," Bella blurted out, her hand reaching out and grabbing my arm so that I wouldn't take another step. When I turned back, she looked somewhat flustered. "It's just that I've been thinking…and...um…I don't know how to put this…"

A slow smile started to spread across my face. I could tell that Bella was nervous and that whatever she was about to say was making her blush. What would I ever do without her? She was too adorable.

With a quick glance up to me, she locked eyes. She started to play with her hands in a nervous way. "Okay, I'm just going to say it. Jacob, we have something. Something special and I _know _that. But the thing is I don't know where I'm at exactly. Everything has happened so, so fast and it's just hard for me to keep up with things. So, what I'm saying is, don't give up on me just yet. I need time. Please."

Shock wouldn't even begin to explain what was going through my mind. I should've said something right away, but no, I stood there like freaking idiot and watched as Bella began to experience a rejection like phase as the emotions played across her beautiful face.

_Say something!_

I took a step closer and placed the palm of my hand under her elbow before she stepped away. "I can give you all the time you need," I said honestly. "That's the way it's always been and the way it'll always be. Bells, I love you, I do. I love you so much that it literally hurts me—"

Bella put her fingers over my lips to keep me from rambling. "I know," she whispered so gently. What I would've gave to kiss her at that moment. Her hand brushed down my face. "You wanna go somewhere? I don't feel like thinking anymore. I just want to be with you right now."

"Sure, sure."

**I told you it would be short, but I promise the next chapter will be longer and better.**

**Reviews=LOVE**


	17. Target

**I know I haven't updated in literally forever but I my laptop got a horrible virus while my cousin was using it. She just had to open an unmarked email she got. All my documents were lost. But the damage is now fixed since I sent my laptop off to a specialist—which my cousin did pay for.**

BPOV

Figuring out things in my life was first on the agenda today. I had a few down already. I had accepted that I was a werewolf, which was still the weirdest out them all. Now I had to deal with my feelings. Of course my thoughts were to put it off until tomorrow, but then it would be the same excuse the next day.

I wasn't exactly sure of my feelings for Jacob. He was so sweet and he loved me. What more did I need? But, that was the problem. I had no idea what I needed.

Grudgingly, I headed down the steps and into the kitchen. It was a cool day and the air was blowing through the open window. I went to wash the dishes when something caught my eye. I glanced up and stared through the glass to the woods. There was an off figure standing at the edge. I dropped everything and pushed myself up on my toes to see better. Whatever this thing was, it was dark and I couldn't see any features on their face. I could tell it was definitely a person from the human like figure.

Against my better judgment, I half ran to the door and looked around the corner of the house. I kept my hand on the door just in case I needed to run back in. It wasn't exactly fear that I was feeling, more like anxiety. It felt like something was going to happen. Something bad.

Then it hit me. Hit me like a well of bricks. I knew this shady figure. I suddenly flashed back to the woods when it was there, watching me, the same as it was doing now. A vampire? But what did it want with me? I was not about to find out.

I didn't know what to do. I was alone and new at the whole werewolf thing. If it was stronger than me, I could easily be hurt or even killed.

_Don't stand there! Do something! _

Closing my door behind me, I started to walk in the other direction away from the house. I figured that I would test it first. If it followed me then I knew I had to get out of there. There was a bad smell in the air, a sickening one that smelled of icy sweetness almost. Yes, most definitely a vampire. There was no question in my mind now. I watched as it took more steps towards me as I backed away into the street. There was a big amount of space between us but I wasn't about to have it closed. This thing was after me.

For a second I thought about standing my ground and going for it but that was too dangerous. I didn't know my abilities. Underestimating a vampire was a bad decision.

I turned around and disappeared into the woods. I took off in the direction of La Push knowing that I could easily run into one of the others. I couldn't tell if I was even going in the right direction, though. The trees were passing by so fast that they were barely seen. It was all a mess of green and brown. I wasn't sure how I was doing it but I somehow managed to dodge the obstacles that were in my way.

Vampires were too damn fast. I was expecting that any second it would lunge at me and take me down to the ground. It would easily tear me to shreds.

"Bella!" I heard someone call in the distance.

I looked around but saw no one there. My concentration went back to the vampire. I hadn't realized it but in all the confusion I had stopped dead in my tracks. There was an awful growl that came from the thing behind me, a deep but aggressive sound that could frighten anyone. The vampire was a guy. He looked like he was about college age, studious, and a face that was beautiful like all vampires had. There was no mistaken what he was. The pale skin was three times lighter than mine and his eyes were pitch black. That only meant one thing—thirst.

"Bella," the boy spoke my name. The voice was He had curiosity within the features of his face. His eyebrows furrowed as he cocked his head to the side.

_Ohmygosh, it knows me..._

A few seconds went by and then the vampires head quickly jerked up. His eyes went big with anger. He smiled at me, an oddly wicked smile.

"Bella?"

I involuntarily gasped at the sound of a familiar voice. Quickly, I snapped my head back to where the vampire stood. It was nothing but empty space.

I decided then that I wasn't going to worry the others. No one needed to get hurt. I would tell Jacob later.

"Embry!" I half screamed as Paul, Jacob, and Jared appeared behind him.

"Whoa, Bella, no need to scream my name like that. You know, unless…" He wiggled his eyebrows at me with a smile.

"Shut up," Jacob warned.

"Ew, don't be gross." I folded my arms across my chest, my cheeks started to get hot with embarrassment. "Am I always going to be your target of sexual jokes?"

"Well there are only about three things we think about: sex, vampires, and food," Paul jumped in. The way he looked at me made me feel uncomfortable. It was like all Paul had to do was give you a sideways look and then you automatically feel like you're standing in a crowd of people and you're completely naked. Not a good feeling.

"Oh, I'm sure only you think that way," I said with a sly smile. "And besides, I think you should only concentrate on the vampires and food. I've been in your mind Paul, I know you're still a virgin."

"Burn!" Embry sneered, shoving Paul in the shoulder. The other guys laughed.

"Which brings me to me next question. What about you?"

"What about me?" I spat.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jacob tense up next to Embry. "Shut up, Paul. Leave her alone."

"Well this just got awkward." Jared turned to Paul. "And a little creepy."

I stood there and watched as Paul and Jared got into an argument. It was really boring watching them fight. I didn't know how they did it. One moment they would be in eachother's faces, about to rip their throughts out, and the next they would be best friends.

"I have to tell you something," I nudged Jacob.

He turned his attention to me. "What is it? Did something happen? Are you okay?"

"Please don't get all twenty questions on me," I begged Jacob with a slight smile. "It's nothing to be deeply worried about."

Jacob's face went a paler color. "It's a vampire, isn't it?"

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